The Vigilante
by Skitzoeinhoven
Summary: Part 3 of the Lily Series. After living in NYC for 7 years, the Gold family moves back to Storybrooke and find themselves having trouble adjusting due to their complicated history. With magic gone, a political uprising against magic takes shape and a mysterious vigilante becomes their mascot. How will Lily and her family find magic in time against all the odds and without magic?
1. The Long Road Back

Lily stared out the window from the back passenger seat of her father's Cadillac. She knew it was going to be a long trip back to New York City from Storybrooke, but the events that had brought her to Storybrooke in the first place was enough to keep the little seven-year old occupied for hours. Thoughts swarmed her brain as she rehashed the extraordinary tale and it was filled with unbelievable thoughts.

Lily survived by her parents and grew up in New York City. All was fine and well when suddenly she woke up from a provocative, persistent and incredibly vivid dream. She had envisioned her parents in this town called Storybrooke. A magical town in which she had never visited before, but somehow knew quite well. In the vision, Lily was kidnapped by a man named Henry, who called himself Arthur because his body was being occupied by an egotistical entity known as The Author. The Author needed Lily's father to make a grave choice; a choice between happiness and magic. With the help of a small boy named Neal Nolan they were able to help her father choose and in the end Mr. Gold chose happiness. The details of the vision were so clear that Lily believed she was envisioning an alternate universe. The incessant dream no longer was a dream when she realized certain valid particulars about her parents and it was in those details that reinforced what she already believed in. That those events had actually happened. Magic was real. Her parents are fairy tale characters. Her parents are _Beauty and the Beast._

When Lily woke from the dream she questioned her parents about the existence of magic and it was her father who immediately discredited her attempting to make her believe it never really happened, but he wasn't successful. His odd reactions to her telling them about Storybrooke only motivated her to go to this mystical place. So she ran away from New York to find this magical land and prove it to them. With the assistance of Belle's mother, Mary Poppins, who had recently come to visit them in New York one whimsical afternoon, Lily Gold managed to safely cross the few states and successfully into Storybrooke, Maine.

Proof of magic was what Lily needed to bring back to her parents in New York and Cogsworth, the enchanted realm-jumping timepiece that Henry carried around, was perfect. Lily was hesitant about Henry. Although Henry was older than her through time displacement and magic, he was also Lily's nephew, but it didn't misplace the fact that he was also the same person who had kidnapped her in her vision so she continued to be wary of him. Through the vision Lily knew she was a child of magic and it was in that knowledge that Lily was able to confidently overcome Henry and take Cogsworth, despite her actual limited experiences with it. However, when she stole Cogsworth she attempted to save her friend Neal Nolan as well, but he didn't recognize her. What she didn't realize was that because he didn't know of her vision he didn't know her which meant that he didn't feel rescued, he felt kidnapped. Mistakenly, Lily thought that Henry was still the Author from that alternate universe she reacted accordingly, but Neal didn't know of this vision and ran away from her. He interpreted Lily's heroism as villainy and his first impressions of her weren't amicable, but hostile. In the end, it was Mary Poppins who rescued Lily from her difficult and saddened disposition. Mary took Lily to her grandfather's flower shop where she was reunited with her parents and the Author was vanquished. So now, they were returning home from that adventure.

Lily continued staring out the window of the car and up at the graying skies. It looked like it was about to rain. She couldn't stop thinking about him. Lily really liked Neal. They were friends in her dream. He was magical to her. Helpful. Wonderful. But now, they were nothing. Were they enemies? She couldn't tell. Their last parting words to each other before crossing the town line were quite disdainful. Lily wept a little in the car as she thought about him. In her dream, they were friends and he kept her grounded when things were too unbelievable. That vision was real. Why wasn't their friendship?

Lily could hear Neal's voice still linger in her head. _"_ _We are not friends… …I barely even know you… …If you were truly my friend you wouldn't tell… …threatening to share people's secrets is not how you make friends…"_

Perhaps moving to Storybrooke was a bad idea. _No_ , she thought to herself. She couldn't allow herself to think that way. Storybrooke was where her family belonged and magic was embedded in her family's history. She had to believe in her friendship with Neal. She could prove that she was worthy of him, but how? Make amends with Henry? Lily supposed that was a good start.

She thought about Henry and her relations to him. How odd, Lily thought, that her brother's son would be the one who'd frighten her so much. Her brother… Neal; Baelfire, father of Henry. In the dream, Lily had learned about the boy Baelfire, but what of the man? Who was this unsung hero? How could she be the hero like him? How would he have handled her situation? What exactly happened to him?

As a few droplets began to splatter on her window Lily looked around the small cabin space of the Cadillac. Her mother was deeply engrossed in the journal she had written about her dream and her father was extremely focused on the road before them. Lily shifted in her seat and the slight stirring of his daughter prompted Gold to look up from the road and glance at his review mirror. Gold adjusted the mirror to get a better view of his daughter and spoke nonchalantly, "Is something the matter? You haven't said a word since we departed."

Lily appeared pensive, fidgeting as she searched for a response. Belle twisted around in her seat to get a better look at her daughter and asked, "Are you hungry? You must be tired. Rumple, we should probably pull over and have something to eat."

"Who's Neal?" said Lily abruptly.

Gold glimpsed up at the review mirror again and his eyes were met with his daughter's staring back at him. "D'you mean the little boy that was there?"

"No. I mean… my _brother?_ "

Silence fell in the car for a moment when Belle interjected, "Well, according to your journal… you already know who he is."

"I know of Baelfire, when he was boy with you Papa. I-I know that he was Henry's father, that he died a hero by sacrificing his life to tell you about a witch. I know that his bravery was the reason why that other boy was named after him, but… who is Neal? What exactly did he do after escaping Neverland? How exactly did he die? Was he always a hero? What did he like? What did he like to do?"

After a brief moment of remembrance, Gold said, "In this world, the name he chose for himself was Neal Cassidy. Bravery was something he was always known for, even as a child. Bae-Neal… always brought hope for me, as I'm sure he did for others." Gold paused again as if debating in his mind whether or not to proceed with the rest of what he knew about his son. "As far as the exact circumstances that led to his death, well, it all happened before you were born. And at one point during that time I had died. Neal was tricked by the witch into using magic to bring me back to life. What he didn't know was the price for doing so and that… was a life for a life; his life for mine. After he resurrected me, there was a brief moment as I watched Neal's life drain away in my arms when I saw my choice. Up until that point I had searched for him for so long… I wasn't about to let him go. So in order to save him I had to, through magic, share a body with him and as a result it rendered me useless. The stasis spell I used on the two of us was only supposed to be temporary.

"Unfortunately, it was the only spell I could think of at the time that would save us both. The magic worked and did as it was intended, but it wasn't perfect. We were oscillating back and forth over the use of the body and it was Emma who discovered later our dual occupation. Emma needed me for what I knew about the identity of the witch but in order for me to tell her she needed to separate us which put her in a difficult situation in regards to Neal. As soon as Neal realized her dilemma he convinced her to separate us. Only this time, knowing full-well the price of our separation. So reluctantly, Emma consented to separating us... and that was how he had died a hero."

Belle took the reigns over on the conversation and continued with what she knew of Neal Cassidy. "Not many of us knew of what happened to Neal after he left Neverland, but the only person that could possibly know would be Emma Swan, Neal's love and-"

"Henry's mother… I know," said Lily briefly cutting off her mother. Belle resumed her thought, "You know there was a time when I got to know your older brother."

"Really? What was he like?" asked Lily who was now intrigued. Gold glimpsed over at his wife who appeared just as interested as his daughter was.

"He was always very supportive, encouraging me and bringing me up when I felt low." Belle turned fully in her seat to get a better look at Lily and wrapped her arms around the car's head-rest for support. "He was honest… even when I didn't want to hear the truth. He was very loyal… especially to his loved ones, but also incredibly stubborn." At Belle's last comment she shifted her eyes towards Gold's direction as if signifying that he, too, was also incredibly stubborn.

"He sounds wonderful. I wish I had gotten the chance to meet him," remarked Lily sadly.

"He was an incredible man. You would have loved him… and for the record," Gold replied raising his finger out of protest and directing his comment to Belle, "stubbornness isn't necessarily a bad thing. It means that you have strength in your resolve, and when utilized correctly it can be an effective skill to bring about change in your favor. Mark my words, Lily… never be satisfied with the status quo!"

"Don't confuse stubbornness for ambition, Lily. They're not the same thing," corrected Belle. Belle rolled her eyes at her husband and continued, "As I've said, Emma Swan would probably be your best bet to answer some of your questions you have about him. Probably more thoroughly since she was the one who spent the most time with him. If you really are that curious about him, I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you asked her when we move back to Storybrooke."

"When are we moving back to Storybrooke?" Lily inquired.

"There's much to prepare," said Gold. "We intentionally moved away from Storybrooke's magic in the first place to get away from the temptations of it. We moved… intending on never coming back."

"What your father is trying to say is that we have a lot to pack. You still have to finish school, so I would imagine sometime during the summer after your birthday."

… …

Lily's birthday had come and gone and the summer waned. It was nearly time to leave. Belle began removing pictures of the family down from the walls of the condo and with each frame that passed through her hands she stared down at the images with incredible fondness. As she placed each frame carefully inside the cardboard box a smile would grow on her face as she cherished the memories. Lily's second birthday with her rosy cheeks and chubby fingers smashing into the cake in front of her. A family photo of the three of them eating together at a patisserie in Paris. Lily smiling joyfully at the baby kangaroo nuzzled in her arms during their trip to Australia. A picture of Lily holding one of the ribbons belonging to a ribbon dancer after a performance during their time in China. They had traveled and seen the world like she had always wanted. So many wonderful memories, but now… now what? Back to contention. Back to being trapped, to being… imprisoned. It was how she was beginning to feel.

Belle knew that the town's curse was broken by Emma, but the cursed sentiment was still there. The whole stipulation for being brought to the land without magic was the cost of imprisonment. Imprisonment… like the time she was imprisoned by Regina. The recollection of the memory made her instantly fill with dread.

Belle shook her head of these awful thoughts. She tried to reassure herself. Both of her parents were there and there was no longer magic in Storybrooke. As far as she knew, there weren't any threats. The last threat that plagued the town was a self-absorbed, parasitical and omnipotent entity claiming to be the Author; their Author to their story, but before then nothing. The past eight years in both Storybrooke and New York have been quite peaceful. _Since there wasn't magic anymore, what could possibly threaten their happiness now?_ Belle wondered. Perhaps this paranoia was just all in her mind. One thing she knew for certain, only she was in the way of her own happiness. As long as she was with her family she was happy.

Lily brushed quickly past her mother without saying a word which startled her from her reflecting. Without looking up Belle addressed to Lily, "Are you done packing those books I asked you earlier?"

"Yes," answered Lily shortly as she searched through the many boxes around the condominium. Lily moved quickly from box to box scanning the descriptions to each one. Surprised by the brief response, Belle looked up from what she was doing and watched her daughter curiously.

"Can I help you find something?"

"I need a towel. I'm going to go take a shower."

"A shower? By yourself?"

"Yes, mama. I'm not a baby anymore," declared Lily.

Belle huffed at the earnest response and replied, "I suppose you're not, but you'll always be my baby." Belle continued watching her daughter and asked, "Are you in a hurry for something?"

"Papa's coming home. The sooner he comes home the sooner we can get going to Storybrooke."

"Well you can just slow your horses because we won't be leaving until tomorrow. So you can just relax."

"Where _is_ he by the way?"

"A particular item he had been looking for a very long time was being auctioned off in Kansas. His flight isn't due back for another forty-five minutes. He'll be home shortly," Belle said as she folded the cardboard box in front of her. She looked around the home and for the first time it truly felt barren.

"Another piece of pricey junk?" said Lily incredulously as she moved a box with her foot to get closer. "Doesn't he realize that he'll be retired from the Pawning business when we move?"

Belle shrugged her shoulders and said, "I'm sure he has his reasons. Who knows with your father? Perhaps it's something he wants to offer to Henry, as a sort of peace offering."

"Henry…" Lily echoed back to her mother trailing off as her mind traveled elsewhere. The thought paused her in her tracks as she thought about her nephew. A shiver ran down Lily's spine as she thought about him. To avoid her mother's gaze Lily stared at the ground as she thought of him. Even the sound of his name made her quiver.

Belle could tell by the way Lily looked that she still had her reservations toward Henry. Belle knew it was going to take a lot of gentle encouraging and patient understanding for Lily to get over the trauma of seeing her adult nephew as a relative rather than an enemy. She had to get her daughter to think lighter of him. Belle bent over sideways to get a better look at her daughter's perturbed face and said, "He really is a good person."

Lily looked up more confidently into her mother's eyes as she continued. "Once you get to know him, you'll know it to be true." Lily hesitated to respond which prompted Belle to push. "What is it? What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid!" Lily replied defensively, but even as she tried to recover her voice trembled and the following words ended up coming out like a stutter. "It's just- it's just… there's a lot of history that I was… suddenly made aware of… and-and for some reason, I just can't trust him. He's unpredictable _and_ he has magic now."

"There's no more magic in Storybrooke," assured Belle. "Thanks to your grandmother, the only magic he has now is limited to his enchanted pocket-watch, Cogsworth." Lily stood frozen in her spot. Her glazed hazel eyes staring off into empty space meant that she was reliving the trauma of her vision's kidnapping. Belle saw this and moved closer to her daughter. She placed a caring hand on her shoulder and then knelt down in front of her. Belle deliberately placed herself in her daughter's gaze until their eyes met. With two hands she caressed her daughter's arm and hand and said assuredly, "He's not possessed by The Author. Ok?"

When Lily didn't respond Belle asked again, " _Ok?_ "

Without saying a word Lily finally acknowledged her mother and nodded slowly. Seeing that she understood, Belle said, "Good." Knowing exactly where the towels were, Belle looked over at the box beside the couch by the bay window and nodded. "Clean towels are over there."

Lily turned around slowly and then bucked and dodged between boxes to get at the desired box by the couch. Once she plucked a clean towel from its depths she scampered away and as she left the room Belle looked on and realized something. She was right. Despite her best efforts at having cast her mother's Impossible Possible spell to eliminate magic for good, somehow Belle knew there was still magic in Storybrooke. The little seed of doubt was enough to make her worry and she was quickly succumbing to dread. What exactly were they moving back to? What dangers and turmoil waited for them when they arrived

Belle returned to the box of happy pictures and memories they had made here in this world. This world, this _real_ world, was all she could have ever hoped for herself and her family. She gazed upon the dozens of pictures she had yet to pack away and noticed the happy trend of smiles on both Lily and Rumplestiltskin's faces. Genuine smiles. Belle couldn't remember ever seeing Rumplestiltskin this happy in _their_ world. As far as she saw, the Rumplestiltskin in the picture frames and the Rumplestiltskin she knew back in Storybrooke were totally different people. As a family, they had changed. Would he revert back to his old ways? Would she? Belle could already sense that she was. Would they still be this happy once they arrived to Storybrooke? Belle had to force herself to believe that this was the case, despite the little voice of dread telling her otherwise. It was what her family wanted. It would be what would make them happy and she had to play her part and try to be happy with them.

Suddenly the door opened to their condominium and Mr. Gold walked through it. "Hello? Belle, Lily, I'm home," greeted Gold as he entered the barren foyer.

"Oh good! Lily will be excited to see you," said Belle as she greeted her husband with a quick kiss. "I take it you were successful with your trip?"

"Very," said Gold briefly as he placed another small box along with his keys on the cluttered kitchen table. He paused looking around the myriad of boxes in the living room and inquired, "Where's Lily?"

"Taking a shower. Apparently she's all grown up now. Doesn't want my help," remarked Belle with a tone of surprise as she placed her hands on her hips. Gold acknowledged Belle with a smile and nodded compliantly.

"Unfortunately, that is one of the many side effects of being a child. They grow up." Gold looked around the dozens of boxes that were scattered everywhere and remarked, "You know, I don't remember bringing nearly this much stuff when we first moved here."

"We didn't bring much at all, actually. Only what we could fit in the Cadillac." Belle heaved a heavy nostalgic sigh as she too looked around the same living space. "But life happened. New memories were made and new things filled the gaps and spaces. I suppose I'll miss this life. Call me sentimental, but some part of me wants to bring this life back with us to Storybrooke."

"We can still bring this life with us," he said hopefully as he reached for Belle's hands and held them delicately in his own. "Now that magic is gone, life won't be so different there. And besides, the magical barriers that once protected the town will be gone too. So that'll make our re-entry into Storybrooke a lot easier."

"I know. It's why the movers are now able to bring our things into town." Belle glanced down at her husband's attire and noticed he was still wearing his trench coat. "Why don't you take your coat off and stay a while. Here, let me help-" she said as she attempted to help him out of his coat when he stopped her. He immediately took a step back away from her and replied, "No, I-I got it."

She took notice of Gold's curious behavior and continued staring at him as he made his way to the coat rack by the door to hang up his coat. Next to the coat rack stood a large vase that hosted all of the canes he used to need but were now collecting dust. It had been months since their last visit to Storybrooke and that long for Belle to get accustomed to seeing Gold without a cane. She knew that it took the Author possessing his body to heal is damaged leg. But really what it took… was magic.

It took Belle's silence for Gold to finally turn around from the coat rack and face her. He noticed her disgruntled face and asked, "Is something wrong?"

 _Is something wrong?_ Of course there is. She was reluctantly moving back to Storybrooke. His careful observation of her startled her back into a forced grin and she coughed to clear her throat, changing her sullen demeanor. She needed to change the subject. "No. I, uh, I'm curious as to what's inside the box that had you travel all the way to Kansas to get it," she said as she placed a gentle hand on the box large enough to fit a bowling ball. The box was made of hard oak and had a worn, warm look to it like it had been passed through many hands. "Let me guess, it's for Henry, isn't it?"

"You would be correct. Open it."

Belle opened the box and was surprised to see… " _Corn?_ You went all the way to Kansas… for corn?"

She pulled a couple of ears of corn out of the box and held them up with a confused look on her face. "Couldn't you have just had this mailed? You went all the way out there personally to get vegetables?"

"Souvenirs," he replied with a serious face. He stared at Belle's face and waited a beat. When he couldn't keep a straight face any longer he instantly cracked into a huge smile and he began chuckling uncontrollably. "The box. I'm bringing the box with me to refurbish when we reach our new, well, old residence. It'll give me something to work on when I finally start my retirement. Besides, I bet it's been quite some time since Henry's had fresh authentic crops outside of Storybrooke. It'll give us something to talk about."

"Corn? You're giving Henry… corn?"

"From what I hear it's one of the state's most popular staple. I was hoping to perhaps invite Henry over one night for dinner. Perhaps use this as one of the side dishes."

Belle slowly placed the ears of corn back down in the box and continued looking at Gold quizzically. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?" she asked as she attempted to feel his forehead.

"I'm fine," Gold assured her as he gently brought her hand away from his face.

"And there's nothing else that's special about this… box?"

"Someone's very skeptical this evening," he remarked as he realized the doubt that plagued her face. He shrugged his shoulders and nonchalantly replied, "It's an antique, as are most of the items I come across at work. I'm sure someone will want this box once it's been refurbished."

His answer felt unsatisfactory because nothing about the box seemed valuable. But what did she know about the value of antiques? He was very talented in finding value in even the most non-valuable items. It was certainly beyond her expertise and most definitely within his line of work. However natural it was for him to collect items of unseeing value, something in the back of Belle's mind made her believe otherwise. He was up to something and that something was something Belle just couldn't point out, let alone articulate. In all the years that she had known him, silliness was never something he was known for unless it was a ruse of some kind to misdirect you to something else. Somewhere in the back of her mind she could still hear the demonic giggle he once possessed. What was most unnerving about the whole situation wasn't the phantom snicker in her mind, but the fact that it had been years since she felt this way about him. Doubtful.

She didn't have all the answers and she had to believe that what he was saying was true. She had to fight this trepid feeling that they were both reverting back to their old selves. She wanted to convey her concerns and confess her doubts to him, but suddenly she couldn't. To place doubts in him when she had doubts about herself didn't seem fair. So for the time being, she let his poor explanation for the corn slide and instead said sheepishly, "Ok."

"Come," he said while still holding her hand as he loosened his tie with the other, "come talk to me in the bedroom while I change. I wanted to go over the logistics with you in regards to our trip back…"

Belle nodded, leaving the mysterious box behind as she allowed him to lead her back to their bedroom. Just as the two adults entered their bedroom, Lily exited the bathroom and approached the secretive box she had overheard her parents talking about. She could still hear her parents talking in the other room as she discreetly opened the box on the table. She lifted the lid and discovered the ears of corn she had heard her mother question her father about.

 _This can't be it._ Lily thought to herself. Lily knew as much about her father's love for tricks and puzzles as Belle did for reading his behavior. Lily removed the lid exposing the materials inside and lifted the box. It wasn't suspiciously heavy, but it was curiously heavier for six ears of corn. She checked the dimensions of the box and noticed that there was depth to the box that was unaccounted for. Lily removed the ears of corn and dug her hand into the box hitting the supposed bottom. She felt the corners and along the sides of the inside of the box until she felt an exposed lip whose gap was about the thickness of a fingernail. After carefully removing the dressings, she saw the lip and clawed at the edge using her fingernails. With ease, she pulled the trap door open and saw inside…

Shoes. Glittering silver shoes. For Henry? From her father? For her mother? What was he doing with these women's shoes and why was he hiding them? Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the rocks and pebbles that were embroidered on the outside were so perfectly even that the exotic design even felt enchanting. She recalled her father mentioning that the box was meant for Henry and she instantly became jealous.

After leaving the box to appear untouched, she quietly took her book bag which was close by to her bedroom door and quickly stuffed the shoes inside.

* * *

 **Hello! And Greetings to both Old and New Readers! Welcome to Part 3 of the Lily Series. (Part 1 - "Lily" and Part 2 - "The Author"). While I did try my best to encapsulate what happened in the previous stories, I do recommend you check out the first two before embarking on this one. However, you're going to read whatever you want to read and I applaud you for starting with this one. As the chapters go on, I will try my best to make this as much of a stand-alone story as possible, but I can't make any promises.**

 **I intend on posting a new chapter every Sunday from now until OUAT S6, or until I've run out of chapters to write. But who knows? I might even throw an additional chapter in the middle of the week if the Sunday's chapter was too short. Again, thank you for reading this story and I look forward to hearing your review. Until then, happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!**

 **~Skitzoeinhoven**


	2. The Vandalism

"Lily, sweetheart, we're nearing the border."

Lily stirred from the back of the Cadillac and immediately peered outside the window. Trees passed by the vehicle as they neared the entrance into Storybrooke. The sun peeked in between the branches of the tall standing flora that guarded the road as they drove on.

"You said to wake you when we got close. Well…," continued her father as he felt a certain glee swell within him. A smile broke out across his face as he said, "…here we are."

Lily sat up in her seat and saw through the front windshield window how the never-ending forest hugged along the sidelines of the single highway that guided them to their destination. The magical forest seemed to welcome their arrival.

"You've called Henry. He knows we're near?" double-checked Belle to Gold.

"I called him when we stopped at the gas station. Told him that we should be arriving within a few hours."

"And the movers? How far behind are they?"

"They should be arriving within a day or so. Don't worry. They have the address and should have no issues navigating into Storybrooke. Should they have any difficulty finding the location, they know to contact me," answered Gold coolly and confidently.

Belle was anxious to reach their new destination and it was evident in the tone of her voice. Lily, on the other hand, was excited to be coming home; her destined home, the home from her vision. As much as Lily loved New York, Storybrooke just seemed to hit a place within her that just resonated the feeling of belongingness.

Within minutes, small antiquated buildings began springing up into view. The buildings began to proliferate into more developments and when they rounded a corner, Lily could see in the far off distance the standing clock-tower from her dreams. The beacon of the small town. They had arrived in Storybrooke. The tower grew larger and larger into view, but before they could enter the main street Gold turned away from it and onto one of the side-streets that led to a gated community.

To Lily, it was strange entering a neighborhood she had never been to before but knew all about. And it was in that thought that the excitement she once felt quickly deflated into apprehension. What did the future hold for her here? Her family? Would she have another vision? Would that vision put her or her family in danger? Even as the Cadillac rounded each street corner, she marveled over how she was able to anticipate each street post until finally they had arrived at the salmon-colored Victorian house. They were home. According to what Lily knew from her vision, everything was as it should be except for the yellow Volkswagon Bug that was presently parked outside the house.

As the Cadillac pulled up into the narrow drive-way, the family was surprised to see Emma greet them instead Henry. While they were in the car, Belle wondered out loud to Gold, "Wasn't Henry supposed to meet us?"

"Evidently," he said as he turned off the car and removed the keys from the ignition, "business required him elsewhere. Let's see what Ms. Swan wants."

As the family slowly unloaded out of the vehicle from their long drive, Emma called out from the front porch of the house, "You guys certainly pack light for a family of three."

"We have movers coming within a day or so with the rest of our things," answered Belle as she stepped forward toward the house.

"Where's Henry? He was supposed to meet us here when we arrived," said Gold getting directly to the point.

"He had a trip to catch with one of his clients," she said as she descended halfway down the front stairs, "As CEO of the M.T.A., his transportation business has really taken off since the last time you were here."

"M.T.A.?" asked Gold.

"Magical Transport Authority."

"Ah, I see," said Gold disappointedly.

"That," added Emma who seemed unfinished with her thought, "and I'm here on official sheriff business."

"What do you mean?" asked Belle as her face twisted with concern.

"Ms. Swan," Gold began with an exhausted sigh, "we've only just arrived here. Whatever it is that you are accusing us of, there's no possible way we could have done it."

"I'm not accusing you guys of doing anything. Actually, I'm here, because there's been a rash of vandalism happening around Storybrooke." Emma could tell by the puzzled looks on everyone's face that she quickly needed to get straight to the point. So she gestured with her head for Mr. and Mrs. Gold to follow her and replied, "Apparently Henry wasn't the only one expecting you today."

The family followed after Emma up the front stairs onto the porch to investigate the cause for Emma's visit. When they arrived to the front door, it was evident as to what Emma was talking about. To their surprise, the front oak door was spray-painted with a giant purple 'M'. Around the 'M' was a circle with a line crossed through it and next to the foreboding symbol laid a threatening arrow embedded in the door.

"What's the meaning behind this?" Gold asked Emma seriously as he nodded toward the door.

"Ever since your departure from Storybrooke and the discovery of Henry's functioning pocket-watch, tensions over the politics of magic being reinjected into the community has been a mounting issue."

"I don't understand. Magic in Storybrooke was never an issue before," claimed Belle.

"That may be true, but then again the citizens never really had a choice over the matter before," Emma noted, glancing at Gold for having brought magic back to Storybrooke in the first place. "Now, they do."

"It's just Henry's pocket-watch. It's the only thing left that's still magical in Storybrooke. When I cast my mother's spell, I performed it with the full intention of magic not existing here," pointed out Belle trying to reassure and convey to Emma that their presence meant no ill-will.

"There's a small faction within the community that still believes that this will just snowball into bringing magic back entirely. Not that I can really blame them, of course, because for the past eight years Storybrooke has been, for the most part, peaceful… right up till' last year when the Author paid us a visit and the whole town flip-flopped between magic. I think the people of Storybrooke just want to get back to the peace and simplicity they had before."

"Hence, this vandalism out of protest," observed Gold as they all stared at the symbol on the door.

"Henry wanted to be here to welcome you back into the community. In fact, it was he who reported the graffiti to me when he arrived here to greet you. He wanted to be the one here to explain this and what's been going on himself, but, of course, had to comply with his prior obligations. I'm sorry that it was me instead of him to greet you," said Emma with an awkward half-smile.

"Thank you Emma… for telling us about the door. It surely would have been an upsetting thing to arrive to after our long trip," said Belle.

Emma nodded and replied, "I just wish it was under better circumstances. I just wanted to let you both know that an investigation is already underway. I've already taken a picture of this and documented what I needed for this case file, so now that you've seen for yourselves what you've moved back to I'll just take this," she said as she forcefully removed the arrow from the door, "and take it in for evidence. I'll let Henry know you've arrived the next time I see him. Welcome to Storybrooke."

Emma moved passed the family and descended the front porch stairs down to her Bug and started her car. As soon as the engine roared to life, she took off leaving the family sort of stunned by the ominous letter on their door.

" _'_ _M'_?" Lily wondered out loud.

"For Magic I would assume," postulated Gold.

"But why the arrow?" asked Belle.

"Possibly belonging to the vandal himself. I suspect the vandal was literally sharing his point as a threat."

"Or _herself…_ I know for a fact that there are at least two women in town who are skilled archers," Belle mentioned.

"I doubt heavily that Snow White or Granny have a vendetta against magic, or us for that matter. Their close ties to Emma would make them unlikely suspects, but perhaps you're right. I have a feeling that this case may be hitting a lot closer to home than we realize."

"Meaning what?" asked Lily.

"Meaning that I suspect that the vandal in question will be someone close to the community, but just distant enough to not be suspected," explained Gold.

"But that could be anybody," Belle pointed out. "Emma did mention that this had been going on elsewhere around town. I wonder who else had been plagued with this on their doorway."

"Well, it's not our job to speculate, or investigate for that matter. I'm retired from being involved with this town's petty issues and we're tired from our day's travels." As curious as everyone was in the group, they couldn't help but admit that he was right. "So I say, let's move past this and finally settle into our new home."

Aside from the egregious graffiti marking that painted their doorway, they collectively gasped with anticipation as Mr. Gold unlocked the door and pushed it open. He was the first to enter followed by Belle and Lily who filed in slowly behind him. In silence, they all gazed around in wild wonder. For both Belle and Rumple, they looked around the old familiar sights with fondness as they remembered particular things from their past about the place. Lily, on the other hand, wandered slowly around the foyer curiously looking around at the various rooms.

Lily ventured into the living room filled with dust and furniture covered by white blankets. Lily couldn't help but recognize everything she saw. Despite having never been to the house, what disturbed her the most was how she recognized everything. The dream she had was nearly a year old but she was still able to recall vividly the part in her dream where her father from the past in another universe had visited the house. Would her parents' special cup still be in the sink?

Lily moved quickly out of the living room and into the kitchen. She moved tentatively as if half-expecting a monster to jump out at her from the sink, but when she arrived there was no cup or single item in the sink. What else could she remember?

After entering the house, Belle immediately proceeded toward the ascending stairway and climbed. As she ascended, she ran her hands along the familiar old banister and smiled to herself as she remembered their wedding night. In her mind she could still remember undressing and casually hanging her wedding clothes over the banister as she and Rumple made it to their bedroom. She peered down the darkened hallway and decided to venture into their bedroom first.

Everything was as she had left it when they moved away eight years ago. As she worked her way around the bedroom she began pulling away white blankets protecting the furniture. Already in her mind she began making a list of items to start cleaning. Dusting was definitely in order, but first things first, she would need her cleaning tools and chemicals. Even the mere thought of cleaning and getting her house in order put another smile on her face as she felt a tinge of excitement swell within her. There was a lot to do.

Belle bundled the drapes that were in her arms and tossed them to the middle of the floor when something caught her eye. The side table that stood next to his side of the bed was propped open and left ajar. She went to push the drawer in when she spotted a picture frame within. She pulled the frame out and broke out into another huge smile. It was an up close picture of her and Rumplestiltskin at the cottage during their honeymoon. It was truly a wonderful honeymoon and a lovely memory. She placed the picture frame erect and positioned on Rumple's nightstand and left the bedroom to see what other treasures she could find.

She stepped outside their bedroom and immediately noticed the bedroom at the end of the hall propped open. The light from the open room was illuminating the hallway which piqued Belle's curiosity. The warm inviting light lured her into the room and with surprise discovered her daughter standing solemnly inside.

"This was my room, wasn't it?" Lily asked as she looked around the room. She walked over to what appeared to be a crib which was covered by a white cloth and placed her hands delicately on it. Her question caught Belle off-guard as she took a moment to regain her wherewithal to reply.

"At one point in time this was your nursery, yes," she confirmed but was immediately confused by how she knew. "How-how did you know?"

"Papa ventured here often in my dream. I know how happy it made him." The tone in Lily's voice seemed hauntingly somber. It never occurred to Belle to ask Lily how she felt about her impressions of the home so Belle asked, "What, um, what do you think of the place?"

Lily looked around the room as if she had a ton of books balancing on her head. It was apparent to Belle based off of Lily's face that she wasn't receiving the house well. Lily's silence said it all. As soon as Belle realized that Lily wasn't going to respond she suggested, "You don't have to stay here. There are plenty of other rooms in this house that you can claim as your own."

"Thank you, uh," Lily stuttered as she began to fidget where she stood. "I, uh, it's weird, you know? I know this place. I know this town. Maybe because of when I was here last year, but the town isn't what's so scary, this house…"

"Are you having doubts about moving here?" Belle asked with a concerned eyebrow raised.

"No! I… I'm sure this house will be great," Lily said with false confidence. Belle could sense Lily's doubts over the move, just like how she was feeling with her reservations. Belle moved in closer to her daughter and brought her in for a consoling hug. Belle kissed the top of Lily's head and said softly as she comforted her daughter, "Moving isn't always an easy adjustment. New house, new school… change isn't easy."

"But that's not it, Mum. Nothing about this place is new. That's what's so frightening. I shouldn't recognize everything, but I do. I guess I'm just-"

"-overwhelmed. Yeah, I guess I can understand how that can be scary."

Lily nodded into her mother's chest, though it wasn't exactly the reason for her dread. The feeling she carried couldn't be articulated, but she knew it wasn't good. Perhaps her father could… Suddenly they heard a loud crash and shout come from two floors down. Both Lily and Belle left the old nursery and descended down the stairs to investigate the occurrence down below.

"Rumple! Is everything ok? Are you alright?" called out Belle as she rounded the stairs to the basement door which was left open.

"I'm fine! I just… dropped a box on my foot. Sorry! Didn't mean to frighten you," shouted Gold to Belle and Lily from downstairs in the basement.

"Lily and I are going to get our bedrooms ready and then get started on dinner," called out Belle to her husband from the top of the stairs to the basement. "I'll call you when it's ready."

"Alright," said Rumple as he heaved one last angry breath and moved away from the shattered box by his foot. Rumple stared angrily at the shattered box of corn laid sprawled on the basement floor. His pair of silver shoes had gone missing.

* * *

 **Thank you Grace5231973 and Imusicluver23 for R/R last chapter! I know these postings between chapters are really far apart, but I've decided to pace myself and not overwhelm myself like I did with the last story. It'll be worth it. I promise! Hopefully you guys enjoyed this chapter as well. See you next chapter!**


	3. Hot and Cold

The movers arrived the following morning and came without an issue with the rest of their belongings. Some of the men tried to make small talk with the family about how they had never heard of a place called Storybrooke before, but the dialogue never ventured further than that. Mr. Gold watched them prudently as they performed their job. As they carefully moved in each item, Gold sipped on his coffee making sure none of them ventured where they shouldn't be, more specifically to the basement. Belle directed the men inside the house on where to put the boxes and furniture while Lily stayed out of the way reading her book and eating cereal. At one point, Lily begged her mother to go outside and walk around the neighborhood alone, but at Belle's hesitance she insisted that they wouldn't be going anywhere until the movers were done moving.

In a few short hours all of the intended items from New York were brought inside and to Lily's excitement she was relieved to see the delivery men go. Lily stared out the bay window of the living room and watched as the moving truck drove away from their neighborhood. The sun was bright and beckoning, which only made Lily's incredible itch to go off and explore even more insatiable.

"Can we go now?!" shouted Lily from the living room, who quickly turned on the spot to search for one of her parents in the new house. "I want to go play with the other kids."

In all of her eagerness, Lily ran to the foyer to grab her father's overcoat hoping to expedite the process of their departure when Gold shouted at her shortly, "Don't touch that!"

He rounded the corner out of the kitchen and approached her authoritatively taking the coat quickly from her hands. Shocked to have her own father shout at her unexpectedly, she timidly asked, "It's… just your jacket. What's dangerous about it?"

"It's nothing," he said coolly all of sudden as he threw the jacket upon himself. With his left hand he pulled out the car keys from within his left pocket and curiously placed his right hand protectively over the right pocket. While Gold looked up the stairs to address Belle, Lily couldn't help but notice his odd behavior. The unjustifiable reaction to her handling his coat made her wonder, what was in his right pocket? "Belle, we're ready to go."

"Alright! Alright, I'm coming!" said Belle as she tied her hair up in bun while walking down the stairs. As soon as Belle came into sight Lily became distracted from her father's peculiar pocket and suggested, "Can we go to the park? It really is nice outside."

"Goodness. You all are certainly eager to leave. You both do realize that there's much to do and unpack when we come back?"

"Of course," understood Gold as he fetched for Belle's jacket from the coat rack.

"Do you have Lily's paperwork for her school transfer?" she asked as he helped her slip on her jacket.

"Yes… but uh," he said while looking down at his daughter, thinking of an alternative idea for their venture into Storybrooke. "I was thinking of taking Lily to the Pawn Shop to meet up with Henry."

To Lily's dissatisfaction, she rolled her eyes and upturned her lips showing her disapproval over the idea. Belle caught sight of Lily's reaction and glanced up at her husband who also noticed the reaction. Seeing that he needed to sweeten the deal, Gold suggested, "This neighborhood is perfect for kids to bike and I do happen to know that the Pawn Shop sells bicycles."

"Really?" said Lily gaining excitement. Almost instantly she began thinking of the possibilities and the places she could go wander off to.

"But first," Belle said while holding her index finger to signify her stipulation, "Lily's school registration."

Without another word they all left the house and drove into town. With Gold behind the wheel they drove into town passing by Granny's diner along the way. It wasn't until Gold wasn't making the correct turn onto the street to Lily's school that prompted Belle to ask aloud, "Um… where-where are we going? Oh…"

Just as Belle finished her question the Cadillac immediately pulled up beside the pawn shop and parked. With the car still running, Gold explained, "You and Lily can go to the school and register together. I'm sure my presence there will just be redundant."

"What do you mean, Papa?" asked Lily disappointedly.

"Yeah, what _do_ you mean?" wondered Belle whose voice ebbed with affronted irritation. "You know, Rumple, it's not abnormal for both parents to be in attendance for school related functions."

"Lily isn't in a play. She hasn't graduated from anything, yet. She's just getting registered for school. I think that hardly qualifies as a 'school-related function'. Besides, you don't need me to answer what you already know. There will be other functions and I promise you," he said as he turned to look at Lily, "I will be there to see them." Rumple got out of the car and stood by the open driver's door. He bent over and leaned forward making one last comment before departing. "Take the car and get Lily registered for school. When you're done, meet me back here and we can pick out a bike together. Alright?"

Belle never broke her skeptical gaze with Rumplestiltskin as she silently and reluctantly agreed to do as he suggested. As she scooted herself over to the driver's seat a sudden red flag sprung within her and she became suspicious. Was it the faculty he knew at school? The people? This town? Why was he suddenly keeping his distance? While they were in New York Rumple never had any issues with meeting any of Lily's teachers, but now he suddenly does. His whole avoidance puzzled Belle and it made her hyper-conscious of Rumplestiltskin.

Rumple watched as Belle turned the Cadillac around and drove off with Lily in the direction of the school. As soon as they were well on their way in the right direction he turned and headed straight to the front door when he noticed something about the door's appearance. If he didn't still know every inch of the store incredibly well he would have simply disregarded the observation, but the way the new paint shimmered piqued his curiosity. "Another 'M'," Gold murmured to himself as he brushed his fingertips against the door's new finish.

The little bell rung jubilantly as he entered the shop. He looked up nostalgically at the piece of hardware and felt a smirk grow on his face. Suddenly the sound of rustling paper caught his attention and he immediately looked towards the back of the shop.

"I'll be with you in a moment!" called out Henry from the back of the building, to which Gold replied, "Take your time. I'm in no rush."

The moving of papers suddenly stopped as Henry stepped out to the front of the house to address the familiar voice. "Grandpa?" Henry revealed himself from the back room greeting his grandfather with a smile and said, "It _is_ you. Sorry I wasn't there to have greeted you when you all arrived yesterday. Being the sole conductor of the M.T.A. doesn't really leave you with much time for personal matters, but I'm glad to see that you all made it back alright. How was the move?"

"It's been good so far. The movers just arrived this morning and delivered the rest of our things in one piece."

"I see," nodded Henry as he glanced down at his timepiece anxiously. "Well that's good to hear. Excuse me. I hope you don't mind that I work on something while we talk."

"Go right ahead," said Gold as he gestured for Henry to continue doing what he was doing. Henry nodded as he quickly walked to the back room and brought back out all the documents along with what appeared to be a schedule book in his hands. Gold walked slowly toward the counter and upon closer inspection noticed that the schedule book wasn't a book, but a miniature laptop instead. As soon as Henry placed the pile of paperwork next to the laptop he immediately opened the laptop and began typing away. "I see you've gone digital."

"Yep," Henry said shortly while focused on the task at hand. Gold took a slow breath as the sound of Henry typing feverishly into his laptop filled the silence between them. "You seem… a little hard-pressed for time. Perhaps I'll come back later."

At Gold's response, Henry immediately looked up from what he was doing and replied, "Nonsense. I, uh… I'm just a little overwhelmed at the moment."

"Well then can I assist you in something?"

Stunned by the offer, Henry blinked a few times and then said, "Actually… there _is_ something you can do for me."

Gold followed Henry to the back of the room and watched as Henry unearthed a large cardboard box from underneath a carpet-covered table. Henry blew across the top of the cardboard and an inch of dust flew through the air. As dust clouded the air between them Gold waved at the air to breathe and remarked, "I see that dusting is still not one of your strong suits."

"I've been incredibly busy, and with me running this shop _and_ the M.T.A… well, certain chores were placed on the back-burner." With a heave, Henry lifted the box into his arms and brought it out to the front of the store. Gold followed and as soon as Henry placed it on the available counter space across from his work station by the register he explained, "Over the years I've labeled and organized every little thing you left behind to me. With help from Mom, uh… er, Regina, I've been able to identify everything, except these items."

Gold opened the box and peered inside. As he glanced over the menagerie of random objects he smiled gleefully, knowing and recognizing every item he had placed inside the box. "Would you mind identifying what everything is along with a brief history?"

"It would be my pleasure," said Gold with satisfaction as he plucked a pen from off the counter that was close by.

"Excellent," said Henry with relief as he handed his grandfather a pile of index cards. Henry backed away from his grandfather slowly and returned behind the counter to his open laptop. With one last careful glance over at his grandfather, he resumed typing into his laptop when suddenly a thought sprung into his head. The thought slowed his typing. He looked up to address Mr. Gold who appeared just a little too happy to be doing such menial work. "Grandpa…"

"Yes, Henry?" said Gold as he stopped his writing.

"I-I shouldn't have asked you to do this. In fact, I feel bad for having asked you to help me in the first place. I mean, you're retired now."

"I'm retired Henry, not dead."

"Yeah, I know." Suddenly, Henry realized something that he should have noticed about his grandfather from earlier. He was so focused on finishing his work that he neglected to notice certain missing family members. "Hey, wait a second. Where's Belle and Aunt Lily? I hope you didn't leave them on my account."

"Belle knows that I'm here. She's with Lily right now getting registered for school."

"And you're not there with them _because_ …?"

"-because I wanted to see my grandson. I told you before I left that I was sorry for not having kept in touch with you over the years. I'm just making up for lost time, is all."

Henry instinctively became skeptical and fought against his better judgement to ignore his intuition. Bluntly, Henry blurted out, "What do you want, Grandpa?"

"What do you mean?" said Gold feigning innocence, "I want to spend time with you."

Henry closed his eyes disappointedly and sighed exhaustively over his grandfather's virtuous ruse and replied, "Nobody, and I mean, _nobody_ comes into this shop without wanting something. Even my own mothers come in, and if it's not to check my pulse then it's always for business. You're not with Belle or Lily so you must be avoiding something because you're here making 'small-talk' with me and from what I know about you, you're not one for making 'small-talk'. So, what do you want?"

Gold chuckled out loud in front of Henry, who was amazed at how perceptive Henry had become. "I see you haven't forgotten _all_ the lessons I've taught you."

"I haven't forgotten a single one. I've had the best teachers."

"So you have…," agreed Mr. Gold. "but there is much left I can still teach you."

"I've run this shop for the past few years now, so striking a bargain was never a flaw of mine. I can also sense a deal and start formulating the stakes before the bargainer even realizes the inevitable deal that's about to happen. You and I both have something the other wants, to which a deal can always be made. So I ask again, what do you want?"

"A few years at deal-making and suddenly you're an expert," he remarked sardonically. "Alright, you say you're good at the art of the deal so how about this, you tell me what you think the deal is and I'll tell you whether you're getting hot or cold," Rumplestiltskin challenged.

"You're hoping to play at my heart-strings, hoping to get something that you don't have that I possess," pointed out Henry as he stepped back around the counter to stand across from his grandfather.

"Luke-warm, but go on…"

"You're here alone with me instead of with your family because there's something you want to discuss in private."

"Hot."

"If it was something from this shop then you would have already taken it before you went back to New York. You want to use Cogsworth."

"Hotter."

"You never wanted to spend time with me," said Henry disappointedly, feeling dejected.

"No," Rumple corrected earnestly, almost hurtfully, "now that part isn't true. I still want to spend time with you, I just have… an alternate idea in mind as to how to best utilize that time together." He furrowed his eyebrows, but then resumed the game. "Cold."

"The only way I can legally grant you passage to another realm is if you intend on moving back to the Enchanted Forest and I don't think with Lily currently registering for school here that you're about to do that."

"So what is the deal that I want propose?" egged Rumplestiltskin as he mentally measured Henry's worth as a dealmaker. Henry looked around the shop. With the pile of documents still sitting by the register, the dusty antiques and his grandfather's identification activity before him it suddenly became very clear as to what Henry needed. He needed assistance running the shop and Mr. Gold knew this shop better than both him and Regina combined.

"You want to assist me in running the shop while I perform my M.T.A. obligations in exchange for silent passage to another realm."

"Henry, I believe that you are on fire," noted Gold proudly, impressed by Henry's incredible deductive abilities. "And what do you think about the proposal?"

"I think that you would be getting more from this deal than I would be."

"So what are you going to do Mr. Mills?"

Henry thought for a moment, contemplating the very nature of his request. Gold knew that Henry wouldn't accept the deal unless there was a little more incentive to him. There was incredible risk to him breaking M.T.A. laws. At that moment he had a flashback of both of his mothers witnessing him as he signed the contract. Laws in which, if broken, would involve embarrassing jail time with his mother along with dozens of exorbitant fees which would surely bankrupt him to the end of his existence. "I would have to decline said theoretical deal."

"Why?" asked Rumplestiltskin disappointedly.

"I'm sorry Mr. Gold," replied Henry, his serious tone never wavering. "There's not enough _gold_ in the universe that would pay for the kind of retribution I would be at risk for."

" _Mr. Gold…_ ," chortled Rumplestiltskin with surprise over the pun, "This contract _must_ be an interesting read if it has you addressing me so formally now." He couldn't really blame Henry for making that clear distinction. Even he thought it unwise to mix family with business and with great admiration he thought it clever for Henry to have brilliantly worded the difference. "I really have to commend you for recognizing the risk in this deal. However, I am willing to sweeten the pot for you. I recognize your skepticism of me… albeit a healthy one, but it has me feeling… to be untrustworthy in your eyes."

"Can you blame me?"

"No…," replied Rumplestiltskin. Trust was a two-way street and they both knew it. Years ago, when Gold first started training Henry in magic, he was unsure of his trustworthiness, but now it appeared the roles had reversed. Centuries of deal-making taught Rumplestiltskin to never trust others and to only trust in the fact that anyone who had ever made a deal was only interested in the benefit of oneself. Henry was different. He never had the same bleak experience with humanity as he had so Rumple concluded that his perspective in deal-making must also different. As far as Rumple knew, Henry's only selfish act involving magic was venturing into the Underworld to bring back his father. It was an unsuccessful and dangerous venture, but he quickly learned the price of magic and it was what led to his healthy skepticism. In a way, Rumple was glad that Henry had that experience because he came out wiser from it. Rumple saw this and knew that Henry was no fool. Henry saw the best in everybody, including himself. Out of respect, Rumple also treaded carefully as he too conducted business with family. He decided to change his tactics.

"Allow me the opportunity to change your opinion. For any relationship, especially one with a family member, there has to be an element of trust involved. Henry, I want you to trust me. So let me honest with you of my intentions. I believe I am able to bring magic back to Storybrooke."

"Grandpa, have you not noticed the large crossed out 'M' spray-painted in purple on your door? Just last week I had to repaint the front door to this shop because of that same vandalism. There's a political discord here, a movement of anti-magic in this town and using Cogsworth has been like adding salt to a wound to those sympathizers."

"I understand that, however, I believe that the benefits to having magic in this little town will far outweigh the risks."

Henry had to admit to himself that having magic again was an exciting prospect. However, he still wasn't convinced that it was the right thing to do or that it was even worth doing it. All magic came at a price, even bringing back magic. He learned that when he attempted to resurrect his father all those years ago. The price wasn't the only thing that concerned him. With or without Henry's assistance Gold would still undoubtedly pursue this ambitious and dangerous endeavor, meaning that the town would inevitably find itself in serious jeopardy. After his mishap with Cogsworth and his grandfather's possession by the Author a year ago Henry felt obligated to take every precaution to protect Storybrooke. In essence, Henry needed to monitor his grandfather closely.

 _Keep your friends close and your enemies closer._ The thought looped in Henry's mind. Personally, Henry didn't believe his grandfather to be his enemy, but the idea he was suggesting certainly made it seem that way and he knew that whatever it was they were going to do it wasn't going to make his life any easier. The thought went against everything Henry was trying to achieve; peace and harmony in Storybrooke. And anything that threatened the tranquility, was an enemy to Henry.

"What if… what if I said 'no'?" Henry asked hesitantly, stalling for time. He wondered what Gold's next move would be gauging simultaneously whether or not there would be any immediate threat to him should he really say 'no'. Henry needed more time to decide on how to proceed with his grandfather over the delicate issue. He didn't want to immediately turn him away, but he also needed to know what he was doing when he was doing it. He needed to know his plans. He needed to keep him close and keep a careful eye on him. If the town was going to be subjected to another hazard due to Gold's inevitable mischievousness, then at least Henry would have the foresight to react and protect Storybrooke in time, preventing any further damage as a result of it.

Henry had to give his grandfather credit. Gold was freely confiding his intentions with him. How many people could say that? What were the risks to him for even mentioning this to him? Would he confess something like this to Belle? If Belle was on board with this then why would she have enacted the Impossible Possible spell in the first place, unless she didn't know. Suddenly it occurred to Henry that Belle didn't know what her husband was up to and it was then that Henry realized that Gold was truly trusting him with this information. He was genuinely trying to establish trust with him. _Best to just stick with the enemy you know,_ Henry figured.

" _If_ you said 'no', then I'd hold nothing against you."

Confused by his unexpected reply, Henry inquired, " _Really?_ And what if I told Belle what you intend to do?"

"Belle believes that I am still the magic-less man that I was in New York these past seven years. She doesn't want to believe in magic. Despite her magical ancestry, she doesn't want to accept it and wouldn't believe in it even if it was staring her in the face."

"But don't you see? You don't need magic. Belle loves you for you. Not your magic."

"And I love her for it."

"But, then… why can't you accept that? Why isn't that enough?"

Gold sighed exhaustively and confessed, "Because Henry… magic is part of me. It always has been and is all I've ever known. Just as how you've always had your left arm. Magic… is my phantom limb. Without it, I'm-I'm crippled." Henry sympathized with his situation, but still wasn't seeing why this pursuit was still worth the risks to everyone in town. Gold took notice of Henry's silence and disgruntled look and said, "You still seem unconvinced."

"Even if we _could_ bring magic back, then that would mean we would be countering Belle's spell," Henry theorized.

Convinced that Henry was now more inclined to Gold's proposition, Gold gleefully clapped his hands together, rubbing them excitedly as he said, "Now we're talking! Glad to see you warming up to the idea."

"I'm not saying that I'm agreeing to take you into the Enchanted Forest without a passport."

"Well then I'll just get a passport."

Henry shook his head. "Unfortunately, there's a huge clause specifically naming and banning _you_ from ever using it. It was the only way the people of Storybrooke would agree to do this."

Gold rolled his eyes in disbelief and mumbled, "Of course. Well, we'll just see about that." With a flick of his wrist a purple cloud enveloped his hand and when the smoke dissolved the M.T.A. contract appeared in his hand. "Contracts just so happen to be my specialty."

Henry jumped backwards in surprise and exclaimed, "You have magic! How-How is that even possible? Cogsworth is the only magic that exists in Storybrooke!" Henry was absolutely stunned and struggled to formulate words. "But… but I don't understand? Why-why would you need to bring magic back to Storybrooke? You already have it!"

Without looking up from the thick contract before him, Gold replied, "I'm working on borrowed time." From within the depths of his right pocket Gold pulled out the enchanted necklace.

Henry immediately recognized the object in his grandfather's hand and said, "That's Zelena's necklace! The stone though… it's purple. How-how do you have her necklace?"

After finding a stopping point in his reading, Gold looked up and explained, "This necklace, is actually a magical amplifier and my tether. The last time I was here in Storybrooke, there was a brief moment that magic returned and I had a vision. In the vision, it told me about the Author, about Belle breaking my curse from the Author and about this. Before Belle casted her Impossible Possible spell, I had imbued this necklace with all of my Dark magic and tossed it across Storybrooke's borders."

"So it was never affected by Belle's spell… just like Cogsworth."

Gold nodded then continued, "But the magic in this totem isn't forever. In fact, every time I use it a portion of its strength becomes depleted. It was never meant to be a chalice which is why it is only a temporary solution. With your help I'm hoping I won't need to tether it to this jewelry."

"But… even if we do find a way to bring back magic, Belle is going to realize that her spell broke."

"The strength of any spell corresponds directly to the strength of the caster. When her spell breaks it'll be because she was a novice caster. It wouldn't be her fault and I'd be able to utilize my magic freely and without suspicion from her."

"Grandpa, I don't think that's such a good-" Henry began to say, but was suddenly interrupted by the ringing of the front door bell as both Belle and Lily entered the shop. "Belle! Lily, I mean," began Henry as he cleared his throat and corrected himself, "Aunt Lily. Welcome back to Storybrooke."

"Thank you Henry," greeted Belle with a smile as she ushered Lily deeper into the shop.

"That registration took no time at all," observed Mr. Gold as he sat the contract down on the counter and walked around the display case to greet his family.

"It's not a very big school. It all sort of happened very quickly. There were a few documents I had to fill out and then there was a brief tour of the premises."

Lily looked wildly around the shop gawking at all the odds and ends never making eye-contact with Henry as she wondered, "Where are your bikes?"

"Bikes? I didn't know you were planning on shopping today," said Henry with surprise as he strode over to the two standing next to his grandfather.

"Rumple insisted on speaking with you first, but we also promised to get a bicycle for Lily so she could ride around the neighborhood."

"Oh, of course! That's a great idea. What a brilliant way to get acquainted with the neighborhood. The bikes I've stacked-" started Henry as he pointed to the back of the shop, but was immediately cut off by Mr. Gold when he said, "-they're in the back of the shop, sweetheart. I noticed where they were when we were back there a moment ago. Come… let's pick out a bike together, hmm?"

Gold extended an open hand to his daughter to which Lily gladly took and they walked to the back of the shop together. When they both left the room, Henry remarked to Belle, "She looks just like you, Belle."

"With the cleverness of her father," said Belle with a warm smile as she greeted Henry with a friendly hug. "It's so good to see you Henry."

"And you as well," said Henry while they embraced. When they pulled apart Henry cleared his throat and asked, "So how _did_ Lily's registration go?"

Belle nodded reluctantly, rocking her head back and forth as if her experience was less than ideal. "It could have been better had Rumple come along, but I suppose it was all for the best since all the faculty seemed apprehensive of our arrival."

" _Really?_ " asked Henry, his voice filled with surprise.

"Yeah. I uh, I guess time doesn't heal all wounds."

"I think," Henry began, sighing as he thought of his reply, "People are not accustomed to seeing him in this way."

"What do you mean?"

"I believe that if people see more of grandpa's paternal side, they'll be less apprehensive of his presence. I'm sure with some exposure therapy everyone will come around and be less anxious of him."

"That sounds an awful lot like you've had a conversation or two with a psychologist," said Belle with a knowing smile.

"I haven't spoken to Archie in a while, though I probably should-"

"-I don't mean Archie, I mean Paige," said Belle cutting Henry off and getting straight to the point.

"How do you know about Paige?" Slowly and hesitantly Belle reached into the large purse that was dangling at her side and pulled out Lily's journal. Henry looked on curiously as Belle came forward to the nearest counter and sat the journal down. "What is this?"

"Before Lily ran away to Storybrooke she had been suffering from incredible visions. When counseling wasn't enough, Rumple suggested she write what was frightening her down in this composition notebook. In it, she describes this alternate universe where she knew about Storybrooke and about us… including you." Henry opened the journal and began flipping through the pages as Belle continued her explanation. "In it she shares what happened to you during the past seven years… of our absence here in Storybrooke and how it led to you being the Author's host."

" _Me?_ Well, I suppose that would explain Lily's reaction towards me from a year ago…" speculated Henry.

"Why don't you hold on to it for a while. I've read it at least a dozen times already. Besides, I have a feeling it might give you some insight into things and perhaps add clarity to what Lily's been going through. Rumple and I are doing our best to raise her, but I suspect that there might be things even we can't handle."

"It _does_ take a village to raise a child."

"And what about the child of a Dark One deity?"

"I see your point… and your concern. I'll look into it," said Henry as he placed a comforting hand on top of Belle's arm which was resting on the countertop next to the book. Belle looked down at the gesture and then up at Henry giving him a half-smile.

Deep down, Belle was reaching out to him. She was reaching out to family for support. A feeling of uncertainty stirred within her and she needed all the support she could get. She thought of her mother. Perhaps with all this uncertainty she could provide the clarity she needed. Perhaps a visit to her own parents was overdue. Before Belle could dwell further on the thought Henry continued, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," said Belle with a grateful smile.

Henry gathered the journal and brought it close to him. "And thank you for trusting me with this," he said as he raised the notebook.

"Of course. We're family," acknowledged Belle with affirmation.

Henry walked around behind the counter and below the register hung a row of keys. Without a second thought he plucked the set of keys belonging to a vehicle. "I noticed that you and grandpa are still splitting that old Cadillac… and since _we are_ family, I wanted to return a gift to you. Think of it as a 'Welcome Home' present." He raised the keys before Belle and gestured for her to take them.

Belle immediately recognized the keys belonging to the RAV-4 she once owned from eight years ago. She had gifted them away to Henry because of her move to New York and was surprised to see its resurrection. "No. No, Henry, the car belongs to you now," refused Belle as she waved her hands away from him and shook her head.

"I insist."

"No, no, no," argued Belle.

"Fine," consented Henry backing down. Seeing that she wasn't going to take ownership of the vehicle that once belonged to her he altered the arrangement. "Then you can borrow it for as long as you need it."

"No, I can't. I-"

Henry closed his eyes and shook his head insisting gently, "- _For as long as you need it_. Look, I'm not using the car. I've got Cogsworth to get me to where I need to go. Without magic I would imagine grandpa would want the freedom to move about town as he wishes. You should have the same freedom to do the same." Henry jingled the keys one more time in front of Belle and said, "Until you decide to get your own wheels again."

Reluctantly yet graciously, Belle took the keys from Henry and replied, "Thank you."

"As always, it is a pleasure doing business with you."

"I certainly hope you didn't make a deal you would soon regret," interrupted Gold as he and his daughter resurfaced to the front of the shop to where Belle and Henry were.

"The deal wasn't anything sinister, I can assure you grandpa," promised Henry.

"Henry's loaning me his car until I can get my own vehicle again," explained Belle.

"Ah, I see," said Gold as he brought Lily forward. She stood silently by her father and observed the interaction Henry was having with her parents carefully. "Well, Lily would like to purchase a bicycle from your shop…"

As soon as the transaction for the bicycle was complete Henry helped load the new bike into the RAV-4 and both Lily and Gold departed for home in the Cadillac. Belle got into the RAV-4 and before taking off she rolled down the window and addressed Henry, "Thank you Henry."

"My pleasure," said Henry with a warm smile.

"And for the record, you still haven't answered my question from earlier."

"And what question was that?"

Belle smirked mischievously and said, "I suppose since you dodged the question so conveniently, it's probably none of my business, but if you want my opinion I think you should give Paige another call. If you truly love her, she's worth another chance. You should never stop fighting for the ones you love."

Puzzled by the implication, Henry stood there dumbfounded as Belle drove away. It was certainly some food for thought and his heart warmed to the idea.

* * *

 **A longer chapter this time. Thank you Imusicluver23, Grace5231973, Montreat11 and ladybugsmomma for reviewing the previous chapter. Glad to see some familiar faces. What did you all think about this one? See you next chapter! :)**


	4. Making Friends

Belle insisted on unpacking some more before they all went off in their separate ways to be re-acquainted with the neighborhood. During the following days after Lily's registration, Belle placed the family on an unspoken agenda which seemed to loosely follow the regiment of unpacking, shopping, cleaning, dinner and then bed. Much to Lily's frustration, this activity of moving in left little time to go off and explore. So after much nagging to her parents about leaving the house, Lily was finally allowed to ride around Storybrooke on her new bike.

"Where will you be going?" questioned Belle as she unloaded dishes from a box and placed them inside one of the cabinets in the kitchen.

"I don't know. Somewhere… _anywhere_ beyond this house," answered Lily.

Before Belle could protest and come up with a reason for Lily to not leave, Gold replied as he entered the kitchen, "If you don't mind, Lily and I will venture off together and I will determine what areas are safe for her to travel by herself."

His insistence on escorting their daughter around town seemed to give both Belle and Lily much relief and after a few minutes of gathering their belongings both Lily and Gold got into the Cadillac and drove off. During the slow ride through town, Gold pointed at various places for Lily to go to but when they passed by a red sign with a white rabbit on it, Lily asked, "What about the Rabbit Hole? What is that?"

"It's a bar and I forbid you to loiter here. Definitely not the scene for children like yourself. If I ever find you here, you'll quickly discover what it means to be grounded," threatened Gold.

"How? With _magic?_ " challenged Lily sarcastically.

"If you test me, don't count that out as a possibility. I'm trusting in your ability to make decisions for yourself. For every action there will be a consequence and you will pay the full price for the fallout of your actions."

"Like _you_ have?"

"Like _all of us_ have to do," corrected Gold as he tried to deflect the conversation from being about him. For a moment he forgot how she and Belle were alike, especially in their perceptive abilities. The mere thought of his wrongdoings made him reflect and the sheer weight of guilt from his reflection caused him to give out a sigh. He still had a lot of retribution to pay for. "Unfortunately, the debt I've accrued will take me lifetimes to payback."

"How much do you have left?"

"Enough," Gold briefly replied as he turned down a road to make their way back home. When they returned home and parked in the driveway Gold turned to his daughter. Before they got out he warned, "Just so you know, Storybrooke is not like New York."

"I know that!"

"Yes, however you must understand that although this town may appear safer than New York it has its own dangers. Please make good decisions," requested Gold as he leaned over towards his daughter and kissed her on the head. "You've got till sundown to return home. The headlights of the passing cars around you should be a good indicator as to when that is."

"Thanks Papa," understood Lily with an excited smile as she leaned forward giving her father a quick peck on the cheek. With the consent of her father and an understanding of her boundaries, Lily practically leapt out of the Cadillac. In one quick bound she rushed inside the house for her book bag and immediately rushed back outside to retrieve her new bike. Before Gold knew it she had hopped on her bike and was already rounding the corner at the end of the street.

The wind in her hair flooded her system with excitement. Freedom and adventure pulsing in her veins with every beat of her fluttering heart. She had never ventured on her own without one of her parents close by, but this place was different. Lily could sense how this town was changing her as well as her parents. _Perhaps this was good sign_ , she thought.

Lily always loved change because change brought about new ideas and experiences. If anything, it was how she was raised; visiting different places from around the world with her parents at such a young age. Each new place shared its own joy. Lily found that when she played with children coming from different perspectives that they too celebrated fun and played games in new and unique ways. Perhaps this town was similar in that aspect. From what she learned from her vision she knew that it had to be true. Whatever fun and adventure this town yielded Lily was looking forward to it and the knowing potential and mere prospect of it made her hopeful.

With this newfound freedom Lily had she knew exactly what she wanted to do. She rode her bike along the sidewalk of the main road and rode it into downtown. The first stop she made on her own was to the library. She had noticed a book that had caught her eye on her first visit to the library with her mother and really wanted to check it out. Without so much as a curious look from one of the volunteer librarians, she left the building as quickly as she entered it. As Lily exited the library she looked up and thought she caught a glimpse of her father's car, but when a passing car blocked her vision she did a double-take and the Cadillac was gone. Seeing that it was only her imagination, she shirked off the notion that she was being followed and continued on her way.

One of the places she noticed while her father was giving her a grandiose tour of the town was a magnificent playground that caught her eye when they passed by the edge of the forest. The playground had a sophomoric version of a castle made out of wood, which to Lily seemed like the perfect place to read in solitude so she made her way back towards the opposite end of town. Her bike arrived at the border of the playground and as soon as her front tire touched where the woodchips met the grass she got off of the bike and stared up at the edifice pensively.

She couldn't help but think about her parents and what their lives might have been like in the Enchanted Forest, or what she knew of it as Fairy Tale Land. She tried to imagine her parents dressed in fancy garbs and ball-gowns and although that idea seemed fantastical to her it managed to put a smile on her face. The whole idea just amused her. As she looked around the wooden playground castle she couldn't help but feel that in some small way she was connected to that Fairy Tale life. Although she never experienced it for herself, the thought made her feel nostalgic and she wondered how she would have fared had she had grown up in that kind of life. What kind of Fairy Tale character would she have been?

She carried her newly checked out library book as she ascended into one of the small turrets of the playground castle. She thought about the premise of the book she was carrying. The characters traveled via a wardrobe to another world. Would it ever be possible to visit these places from her visions? These alternate universes. Lily frowned as she realized the impossibility of her fantasy. There was no magic in Storybrooke and in that moment Lily's opinion of Storybrooke dulled. She wished for magic to return; magic like from all of the books she's ever read.

Lily couldn't help but wonder as she sat down over a ledge and pulled open her book. From what she skimmed of the book's description, the story featured children venturing into another world via a wooden portal – a wardrobe. Just like Emma. It made her wonder. If magic did return to Storybrooke perhaps she could travel through a wardrobe too. She could visit other worlds if she wanted to escape. Even if it were possible, where would she even go? Narnia did sound like a wonderful place, but would she really want to go there? Was the wardrobe only exclusive to Narnia? What about other places? Would it be possible to manipulate the wardrobe to take her to a specific land? _She_ probably could. _If_ … there was magic.

As Lily's legs dangled and swung over the ledge, she speculated about her own magic. She knew that magic was gone in Storybrooke. She had her mother to thank for that. But magic did exist in Storybrooke at one point and it made Lily hopeful for the possibility of its return someday. She wondered. Had she still had it, what would she do with it? Would she utilize her magic for good, or be dark with it like her father? She hoped that if she had magic again she would do good things with it, if only to prove to Neal…

"Welcome to my castle, _Princess_."

She looked up over her shoulder for the source of the abrupt greeting and saw Neal standing casually on the bridge next to where she sat. If she hadn't been so deep in her own thoughts she would have caught sight of him in her peripheral vision. At first she was startled by the sudden presence, but as soon as she realized who it was her heart instead fluttered. She tried to play off the slight anxiety and coyly replied, " _Your_ castle? I thought this playground belonged to everybody in Storybrooke."

"It is if you're a Princess," said a slightly older girl authoritatively from down below the castle. If the girl didn't have such an arrogant smirk on her face, Lily would have thought that she was pretty with her dirty blonde hair and piercing blue eyes.

"Well she _is_ a princess, Alex," Neal pointed out to Alex as she made her way up the castle to approach Lily. "Her mother is Princess Belle, daughter of King Maurice French."

"Isn't that the gardener from down the street?" asked Alex with the tone of superiority as if his position was somehow beneath her.

"It's a Flower Shop," corrected Lily as she stood up getting ready to leave. She quickly sensed how unwelcomed she was there as Alex approached to her. She appeared almost threatening as she advanced closer and it wasn't helped by the additional few inches she had over her making her incredibly intimidating.

"And what exactly," said Alex as she aggressively snatched the book that was in Lily's hands away from her, " _are_ you reading?"

" _The Chronicles of Narnia_ by C.S. Lewis," answered Lily bashfully.

Impressed, Neal replied with astonishment, "Woah. That's-that's some big reading. Sounds difficult."

"It's not," said Lily quickly as she attempted to get her book back from Alex who was obnoxiously flipping through the pages at an awkward angle, ruining the book's spine in the process.

"How can you read this? There's no pictures!" observed Alex.

"Well some people use their imaginations," retorted Lily to which Neal found amusing and snickered at the reply. While Alex turned to give Neal a cross look, Lily took advantage of the distraction and hastily took the book back from her. Lily was ready to forfeit the turret over and leave, but quickly discovered that her only means of escape was the narrow bridge that both Alex and Neal were blocking.

"So you enjoy stories, do you?" Alex said as she turned around to face her and watched Lily pack her book away. By the look of Alex's stance, it became apparent that she was intentionally blocking Lily's path because as soon as Lily was about a foot away from her, Alex extended both of her hands out and gripped the side rails. Lily's heart began to race as she realized her inescapable situation and reluctantly listened. Fear encompassed her body as she tried not to show panic in front of her bully. "Here's a story for ya… A young girl who was practically a slave to her stepmother and stepsisters was given the opportunity by her fairy godmother to join them at the ball and escape her hell. The ball was intended for all the women of the kingdom and her fairy godmother was going to make it so, but before the fairy could do anything she was destroyed and in her place stood a dark and evil wizard."

"Alex. Enough-" tried Neal as he reached to stop her, but Alex shrugged him off and ignored him as she continued her tale.

"-Instead of being granted the wish she deserved by her fairy godmother she was offered a deal by the dark wizard," continued Alex as she seemed to slither within a threatening inch of Lily's face. "The deal for her happily ever after with her prince was their first born child. And do you know who that dark wizard was?"

Lily shook her head with fright as she felt the breath of her intimidator before her. This was it. She could feel the blow of the punch before it even happened. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Lily clenched her jaw and closed her eyes as if preparing for impact when suddenly-

"Is everything alright up there?" questioned Mr. Gold from down below. Silence fell amongst the children and when nobody responded Mr. Gold turned to his daughter and asked again, "Lily?"

"We're… we're-we're just making friends," said Neal unconfidently to answer Mr. Gold.

"Is that true?" Gold asked while looking at his daughter whose face was clearly telling a different story.

"Sure," Lily briefly replied as she was finally able to move past both Alex and Neal to leave. As Lily passed by Alex she could hear her mumble directly at her, "Saved by the Dark Wizard. Figures."

Lily quickly scurried down the wooden castle and without saying a word to her father made her way toward the Cadillac and jumped into the car. She just wanted to quickly leave the playground and in doing so completely forgot about the bike she used to get there. Gold glared suspiciously up at the two children who were still in the castle and then glanced over at his daughter who was sulking in his car. He saw her bike still lying on the ground and gave out a sigh. Seeing that she was just going to leave the bicycle behind he picked up the bike and placed it as best he could inside the back trunk of his car.

They said nothing to each other on the short ride home, even as they parked in the driveway. Without saying a word Lily attempted to leave the vehicle, but her father placed a caring hand on her shoulder and stopped her, "Wait just a moment…"

Lily did as she was told and stayed behind. She could barely look up at her father when he asked, "Is there something you want to talk about?"

Was there something to talk about? Of course there was, but where to even begin? She knew of her father's dark past but she didn't expect her next encounter with another child from Storybrooke to be so hostile to her. The sins of the past of her father were performed by him, not her. Couldn't people tell the difference? Was it going to be like this everywhere she went in Storybrooke?

Lily silently shook her head.

"Are you sure? Because it certainly didn't seem that way. I know the parents of both those kids. Perhaps if I had a little chat with all of them-"

"-Haven't you done enough already?!" Lily cried out loud. Tears were beginning to form in her eyes.

"And what exactly have I done?" surprised by his daughter's angry demeanor.

"I can't even go out by myself without you following me."

"I was curious as to where you would go and what you would do with your freedom and-" realizing mid-sentence that Lily didn't answer his previous question he quickly pointed out that observation by asking, "-and why are you deflecting? Answer my question, what have I done?"

"You've hurt people here, Papa. I mean, I know that it was in the past but," Lily searched for the words as she stumbled through the explanation of her woe, "I never-I never truly realized what that kind of hurt was until today."

Silence fell between the two as he searched for something to say to console his daughter; something that would ease her worry, but she hit a hard truth. He had made painful deals with people whose outcomes would often times end horrifically or not in their favor. _But they made their choice_ , he justified to himself. It wasn't his fault that people didn't bother to know the risks or accept the price. He turned to look at his daughter. What was noticeable about her whole observation was that she acknowledged his past and even accepted it. In that brief moment, Gold couldn't help but admire Lily's maturity and understanding at such a young age. He shook his head and replied, "Believe it or not, you sound just like your brother."

"I _do? Baelfire?_ "

Gold nodded and continued, "He struggled to make friends as well when he was younger and I bet, that if he were here, he'd tell you to keep trying." At his words, Lily looked up into her father's eyes and a tear escaped. "You are a good person Lily Gold. And I think that anyone who isn't your friend is, quite frankly, an idiot. But I'm biased of course." Lily stifled a chuckle at the jest which reciprocated a small smile of his own. "Not everyone is bad and not everyone is completely good. You have to take the good with the bad. And when school starts, you'll have plenty of opportunities to make friends. Things will get better. I promise."

"You still miss him, don't you?" she asked as he took a handkerchief from his breast pocket and dabbed tears away from her face. Gold nodded in reply and added, "Very much so."

Lily nodded acceptingly and actually began to feel a lot better by her father's encouraging words. "Ok, but uh, um… next time I go out, could you try not to follow me around?"

"Forgive me, but your father is an old cranky wizard who has a hard time trusting other people with his daughter's happiness," he said as he placed the handkerchief back into his breast pocket.

"But Papa, I make my own happiness."

Gold smiled over Lily's astute response, "I suppose you do."

"And Papa… don't you have to have magic to be a wizard?"

Gold smirked mischievously and replied enigmatically, "Perhaps."

* * *

 **Thanks to Grace5231973 and ladybugsmomma for reviewing the previous chapter. Despite the incident within the chapter, I hoped you enjoyed this one as well. See you next chapter!**


	5. Storybrooke K-12

**_Two weeks later…_**

" _Lily?_ Come on, Lily! Honey, you'll be late for school if you don't come down this instant!" called out  
Belle from downstairs.

Belle hovered over by the kitchen counter assembling Lily's lunch items for school, putting the last finishing touches to Lily's peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Dozens of moving boxes were still scattered throughout the house but there were significantly less now than when the movers had first brought them in. Belle dodged around a box that was near her foot and gently nudged it away from her path. She reached inside one of the kitchen drawers and pulled out an empty plastic Ziploc sandwich bag. "Lily Morgan Gold…" Belle murmured softly with frustration.

Before Belle could leave the kitchen to search for her daughter, Lily flopped slowly and depressingly down the last step. Belle turned and was relieved to see Lily ready. "Oh, good. You're dressed. Shall we get going?"

"Where's Papa?" Lily asked, stalling her mother to prevent their departure.

"He took off to visit Henry at the Pawn Shop," answered Belle.

"He's always at the Pawn Shop," Lily said with a grumbled huff as she rolled her eyes. Belle was in such a rush that it took her a few moments to register the melancholy in her daughter's voice. Her demeanor quickly changed from frustration to concern as she lowered her voice and asked, "Hey, what's wrong? What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Lily dismissed quickly as she avoided eye contact with her mother. She felt her mother's gaze and judging by the look an interrogation wasn't too far behind. Not wanting to talk or dwell on the matter any longer Lily suggested, "Let's just go."

"It's not nothing," said Belle as Lily walked swiftly past her mother to the front door, but before Lily could get away with avoiding the confrontation entirely Belle halted her, "Hey! Stop!"

Lily stopped where she stood and turned around to face her mother. Belle stepped outside of the kitchen and rounded the corner to confront her daughter. The way Lily glanced up at her was not out of typical child moodiness, it was the look of fear and misery. For some reason Lily didn't want to go to school today. Belle exhaled slowly and began again even more tenderly, "You seem in distress. How can I help you? Did something happen at school?"

With a frustrated sigh Lily replied, "I am not in distress. I just want Papa…"

Belle felt a twinge of hurt as she felt helpless to meet her daughter's demands. She clasped her hands and stuttered, "I'm… I'm sorry he's not here. I'll talk to him later about his, uh… absence around here. Perhaps we can work out a deal about him staying longer, hmm? Will that be alright?"

Lily blinked slowly a couple of times before she finally nodded.

"Alright, then," said Belle as she gently pinched Lily's chin. She could tell that there was something else wrong but knew Lily wasn't ready to tell her yet. So she conceded for the moment and decided to not press the subject any further. Belle handed Lily her lunch bag and they left the house to walk to Lily's bus stop.

For the most part they walked in silence. Belle brought her daughter in close and draped an arm around her shoulders as they walked. Lily looked around uncomfortably as she pulled at her collar to loosen her dress shirt. Belle looked down and plucked a few lint balls from off of Lily's navy blue school jacket as she searched for something to say. "Are you, uh, are you sure you don't want to say whatever it is that's on your mind?"

"I'm sure," said Lily as she adjusted the skirt of her school uniform.

"Ok…"

They continued walking in silence. Belle stared down at the lunch bag Lily was allowing to beat mercilessly against her side as they walked. It gave Belle a prompt to prod Lily with, hoping to approach the conversation from a different angle. "Did I pack enough for you?" Belle asked nodding toward Lily's lunch.

"It's fine," said Lily as she jostled the bag to feel the weight of her bounty.

"Have you… made any new friends at school yet?"

"You've asked me that every single day for the past week," Lily replied more irritably as they arrived to the bus stop at the end of their street.

"So? I'm just curious. For the past few days you've just seemed upset. I'm just concerned about your happiness. That's all."

"Yeah, well don't be. You wouldn't understand." Lily sighed heavily. Without realizing how audible she still was she murmured, "Moving here was a mis-…" Lily stopped herself but the intent of her statement had already fallen out of her mouth. She couldn't bear to finish her sentence. To finish her thought would mean that her amicable feelings for Neal Nolan were also misplaced.

"A mistake?" Belle finished with confused astonishment. "But I thought you wanted to live here?" Lily stared down at her feet in embarrassment to avoid her mother's eyes. Suddenly her bus pulled up to their stop. Belle looked up and glared at the bus angrily for its incredibly bad timing. Their conversation was finally going somewhere and it was being swiftly cut off by Lily's departure. "This conversation isn't over," threatened Belle as Lily ran up to the school bus. "Do you know where you're going after school?"

"Yes. The library. Bye, Ma," shouted Lily right before jumping onto the bus.

"I love you!" called out Belle as the bus drove away with her daughter. The lack of a reply back from Lily left Belle feeling unsettled. This place had certainly changed their family and Belle wasn't liking it one bit.

… …

Lily escaped one awkward situation only to step back into an even worse situation. As soon as everyone in the school knew of her identity, students would harshly scatter like leaves in the wind leaving her often times very much alone. The one consolation to being isolated all the time was that now she had ample opportunities to read in peace. So wherever Lily traveled, she always carried a book with her.

Throughout her classes she thought about the conversation she had with her father a couple of weeks ago and wondered about her older brother. Did he ever have to deal with what she was dealing with? With isolation? Everyone knew and adored him. How? How did everyone come to love him despite the connection they shared with their father?

The school children gathered in the courtyard outside the building waiting to be let in and the typical social factions met in their usual spots. Since Storybrooke only had one school, the private academy hosted students from all age groups. While everyone waited for the school bell to ring, Elementary students gathered in the courtyard while the junior and high school students dwelled inside the school's gymnasium. Lily sat by herself in the corner of the yard where the building met with the fence and sat down on the ground.

Almost ritualistically, she reached inside her book-bag for her book and propped it open. Every once in a while she would look up from the depths of her book and, like clockwork, Neal Nolan would arrive to the courtyard with a posse of peers who were all laughing and high-fiving each other talking about the shenanigans they had gotten into this past summer. Lily looked on at Neal with jealousy over how well-liked and happy he appeared to be. Every time he laughed she would giggle from afar pretending to be included in the jovial discussion he was having with his friends.

Lily couldn't read lips, so she decided to make up the dialogue from her lonely corner. As she watched the banter unfold, she creatively filled in the conversational gaps by using ridiculous dialogue of her own to mock them.

"I totally did a backflip off of a rhino's butt…" "Really, wow. That's so awesome man. You must be very skilled to do that..." "…Maybe you could show me how to do that?" "…Yeah, me too. I want to be a cool rhino-butt-flipper too…"

Suddenly three large shadows enveloped her from where she sat and she stopped her ridiculing to look up at them. Three large boys, probably entering their eighth grade year, had all come to gang up on her. Each boy was practically identical to the other, but with slight differences.

"Having fun talking to yourself again?" said the taller boy of the group as he kicked the book that was in her hands from off of her lap. "So you're Gold's kid, eh? How unlucky to have come out of that gene pool."

"She doesn't look like a demon. Father says that Mr. Gold was the worst creature to have ever existed. Hey boys, did you know that Mr. Gold is the reason why we're motherless," mentioned another scruffier looking boy.

"But he's helpless now," pointed out the third boy with a duck-face and thick neck. "No magic in town to save you or your family this time."

In one swift motion, the scruffy boy pushed Lily over while the boy with the thick neck held her to the ground. Lily's face hit the gravel with her face turned to the crowd. Upon impact a crowd seemed to instantly form and quickly gathered around them. Through the crowd she could see Neal from where he sat at the picnic table, appearing shocked and unmoved. He wasn't going to save her. She didn't know anybody in this school and in that moment she realized that nobody was going to save her. She gasped for breath. With her hands sprawled out on the pavement, she tried her best to push herself up but was helpless against the sheer weight of the duck-faced boy. Would nobody save her?

"Get off of her Huey!" called out an older boy's voice from within the crowd. The upperclassman barreled his way through the crowd to break-up the dispute. When Huey didn't move, her unnamed hero smacked Huey upside his head.

"Ow! That really hurts Roland!" said Huey as he got up and off of Lily.

"We were only having a little fun," said the taller boy who stepped away from Lily and turned to face Roland.

"Yeah, picking on an elementary student. That's _real_ mature, Dewey. Why don't you guys pick on someone your own size," said Roland aggressively.

"Like _you?_ " suggested the scruffier boy who came forward to challenge Roland.

"If you had any brains instead of feathers, Louie, you would return inside without making a fuss, because what you don't know is that I had already told one of the teachers of this fight. In fact, they can probably see you from inside their classroom right now."

Just then, the school bell rung and students began to disperse. "Saved by the bell, Locksley," spat Louie as he and his brothers stepped away from the scene and left.

Roland saw Neal from afar who had stayed slightly behind in the crowd to see the conflict resolved and called to him, "Hey! Charming! Why didn't you do anything?" Neal bowed his head in shame and then blended in with the rest of students who were filing into the school building. "Pssh! These kids. If you didn't know any better, you would have thought that they were all raised by villains."

Lily propped herself up from off the ground and gathered her belongings. "I do know better. According to the stories, apparently I was raised by one. I'm-I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name. Who are you?"

"Roland Locksley," said Roland as he extended a hand to her. Roland wore his uniform casually, leaving buttons intentionally undone making him appear cool and rebellious. His dark brown hair was just long enough that he had to put it up in a small pony-tail to keep the extraneous hairs from blanketing his face. Lily looked up into his welcoming brown eyes and took his generous offer. As soon as their hands met he lifted her quickly up from the ground.

"I'm… I'm Lily Gold."

"I know who you are. Everyone in town knows who you are. Storybrooke doesn't get too many new kids."

"Oh, well, thank you Roland… for saving me just then. That-that was very kind of you," said Lily as she threw her book-bag over her shoulder and dusted her skirt.

"Don't mention it," he said as he coolly shrugged his shoulders.

Lily looked over him curiously. He obviously wasn't afraid of being associated with the Dark One's daughter. Perhaps he saw her for what she was, just a lonely girl. "Is it true? Did you really tell one of the teachers that you were going to break up a fight?"

"No."

"So you _lied?_ "

"The way I see it, I'd rather have the option to believe in something, even if it isn't true than to not have anything to believe in at all. It keeps me optimistic and hopeful and… has gotten me out of most dire situations."

" _Most situations?_ "

"In your case, I had to improvise. Would you have rather I'd not intervene?"

"No… I mean, yes. Well, thank you," thanked Lily who found herself smiling for the first time since her first day at Storybrooke School. "Good thing the bell rang, then. Otherwise you would have been caught in your fib."

"Yeah, good thing," said Roland as he looked down at his watch. When he realized the time he looked up at Lily with alarm and said, "Hey, we better get going! Second bell is about to ring. Nice meeting you Lily Gold."

"Bye, Roland," smiled Lily as she followed her new friend into the school building.

In Ms. Blanchard's class, everyone knew of their fairy-tale counterpart and it was common knowledge who their teacher was; Snow White. But not just Snow White, Mrs. Nolan. Neal Nolan's mother, who was busy at the dry erase board writing the topics of today's class discussion down, didn't notice as Lily entered the classroom. When Lily arrived to the classroom everyone else had already taken their seat. As Lily made her entrance all the students in the classroom turned in their seats to stare at Lily's ruffled appearance. Lily dusted the dirt from off her knees and proceeded to sit down at the far back of the classroom where she preferred.

As soon as Lily sat down the second bell rang. As she got herself situated she glared around at the students gawking back at her. Seeing that she didn't liked being stared at the students quickly lost interest and turned back around in their seats to pay attention to the day's lesson; all of them turned around except for Neal Nolan who continued looking thoughtfully over at Lily. Even from where she sat in the back of classroom Lily could tell that Neal felt guilty for what had happened earlier. Eventually, he too, gave up and turned back around like the rest of the class to listen to the lecture.

History was what Ms. Blanchard had on the agenda for that class and Lily found it difficult to listen. From where she sat she had a clear view of the entire classroom, and an even clearer view of Neal Nolan. The dull discussion made it very easy for Lily to day dream and think about him. She pondered over all the interactions she shared with him in both this world and the other universe. Where did she go wrong? How could she fall back into his good graces? Lily hoped and fantasized about the day her name and social status was no longer an issue. Suddenly Ms. Blanchard announced, "...History Project! Each one of you will pair up with another classmate here to work on a historical figure to present."

The classroom seemed to buzz with excitement as children were already looking to one another and pairing up. But before the class could get excited over the project, Ms. Blanchard made one more addendum, "Now before you guys get too excited, I'll be assigning your topics as well as your designated partners to you."

At the sudden announcement a groan erupted within the group. "Now, now. As fun and easy as the project can be when you're working with your best friend, I find that you'll learn more by working with people who are different than you; who are of opposing talents. I'm hoping that through this experience, you'll learn more than just about the topic I'll be assigning to you. Perhaps you'll learn a skill or something new that the other possesses. By working together you'll find that not only will you complement each other, you'll add to each other's strengths!"

Much to the class's dissatisfaction, Ms. Blanchard proceeded anyways with the partner assignments and plucked from the top of her desk a sheet of paper containing the well-thought out pairings. While ignoring the disgruntled looks of her students' faces she announced, "Suzie you'll be working with Leslie on the biography of Sir Walter Raleigh… John, you'll be working with Michael…"

Lily rolled her eyes and covered her face with her hands dreading for the sound of her name to be called. Surely there was another way out of this? Maybe she could protest and insist on working alone? Perhaps she could convince Ms. Blanchard and prove that she worked better alone. Not like anyone would be willing to work with her or be her partner anyways. Her name hadn't been called and already she felt like this was a ba-

"Lily," said Ms. Blanchard while looking up from her list to catch a glimpse of the already blanched-face girl in the back of the room. "you will be working with…"

This was it. Would she have to apologize up front to Ms. Blanchard? To her future partner? Ms. Blanchard glanced quickly over at her son and finished, "Neal, on the topic of Pocahontas."

* * *

 _ **Thank you to Imusicluver23, Grace5231973, Montreat11 and ladybugsmomma for all your responses and reviews from last week's chapter! I thoroughly enjoyed reading them all. You might have noticed that head-nod to BatB in the last chapter in regards to the interaction with Lily and Alex. Figured you all would have enjoyed it as I did. You'll notice in the few chapters to come that I've sprinkled a few more BatB references. What can I say? I was really inspired by Disney's BatB while I was writing this story. As you all might have guessed, Alex was the daughter to Cinderella. Well done!**_

 _ **Now this chapter. I threw in a few Disney characters that weren't canon to the show. Lily's bullies, Huey, Dewey and Louie are the three duckling brothers, Donald Duck's nephews. It's always fun incorporating outside Disney characters into my story and it's even more interesting to turn would-be protagonists into antagonists. What did you think about that?**_

 _ **Well, folks. This is my take on Storybrooke School and a sample of what life might have been like as an elementary student. The point of this chapter was to show Lily's external conflict and that sometimes our expectations of things (or Storybrooke, in this case for her) are not always what we perceive them to be. Lily wants to love Storybrooke, but Storybrooke doesn't love her back. Anyways, R/R when you can. Always appreciate your thoughts and responses. See you next chapter!**_


	6. A Surprise Apology

Belle arrived on her own to the library using the borrowed vehicle from Henry to check in with the library's volunteer staff. New York University's library was nothing like Storybrooke's and to compare the two was like comparing apples to oranges. Belle always loved Storybrooke's library. While she lived in New York there were days when she even missed it. For Belle, returning to Storybrooke's library was like rekindling an old love.

During the past week Belle split her time unpacking and checking in with the library. In her eight-year absence the library had finally taken life of its own. A far cry from what she had remembered of its status the last time she was there. To her joy and surprise she had found that the library had finally become integrated with the community, which was what she had always hoped for with the establishment since its opening. Despite its small volunteer staff the library was pretty self-sustained. The volunteer staff consisted of a few elderly people with the occasional young face taking shifts throughout the day and one of those young faces was Mary-Margaret. Out of all the people that kept the library going throughout the years it was Mary-Margaret who felt the need to keep the establishment running and it was through her leadership and educational influence that made it all possible to which Belle was most thankful for.

When Belle first arrived to the building she was well-received with open arms. Mostly because they were all relieved to have someone with incredible experience to officially lead their staff. Upon her arrival, she had come to discover that according to the town's public financial records the library had only one patron in its history whose donation financially sustained the building indefinitely… her husband. And although it was pretty much understood amongst everyone in the community that it was Belle's library, Belle insisted that it belonged to everyone in town. Her one request to her sudden role as Head Librarian was that the apartment upstairs be left for her own personal use. Since nobody objected to the request Belle quickly found herself in her favorite job again.

Belle was at the circulation desk creating a schedule for her staff when suddenly her daughter walked in through the library doors. Belle looked up and greeted her daughter with a smile, "Hey! How was school today?"

Lily glanced over at her mother and then quickly averted her gaze. "Fine," Lily quickly replied as she started to head to the children's section of the library.

Belle could tell that Lily was upset and saw that she was deliberately hiding her face from her. "Woah! Woah! Hey, what's wrong? Stop!" Belle quickly got up and around the circulation desk and stopped her daughter by the shoulders. "Turn around and let me see your face." Belle gasped when Lily turned around and saw small scrap marks along her daughter's cheek. Belle gently caressed her daughter's face to inspect the abrasion and asked with concern, "What happened?"

Lily shirked her mother away and said almost shamefully, "It's nothing. I fell."

Almost instantly, whether it was her husband or daughter, she knew she was being lied to. "Lily Morgan Gold, don't you dare lie to me! Tell me what happened or I will go to the school right now and find out for myself."

"You wouldn't understand. I just had a bad day, that's all."

"You are hiding something from me and if your father and I ever find out that you've been lying-"

"-Fine! Tell Papa! Then maybe we'll actually see him and not his ghost," argued Lily as she quickly turned to escape to the children's section of the library. Lily left her mother standing there dumbfounded by her statement and stormed away towards her favorite corner of the building. As soon as she arrived at the corner she suddenly found her face tingling. Realizing how upset she was she closed her eyes and began breathing in and out slowly to calm herself down. _This is my happy spot. Nothing will attack me here._ She thought to herself, coaching herself down.

After feeling much better she opened her eyes and found herself facing directly at a bookshelf. The first book that came to her vision was the copy of _The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe_ by C.S. Lewis and she curiously withdrew it from its resting place. It was the same book that she had just checked out over a week ago. Was it a coincidence?

Lily looked around her. She wanted to read in peace but didn't want to be disrupted by her mother so she decided to go to the apartment above the library. She snuck in between shelves of books, peeking through the gaps to see if her mother was still around. When she saw that it was one of the older volunteers manning the circulation desk, she approached her timidly and placed the book on the counter to check out. The old woman peered over at Lily through her half-moon spectacles and after recognizing who it was the woman said, "You know, you shouldn't talk back to your mother like that. She really does care about you."

Lily replied to the woman with indignant silence. She felt no need to respond or explain to the old woman the ordeal she had just gone through today. So while the librarian silently scanned her library card and went to reach for her due date stamp, Lily quickly reached over the counter and grabbed the lone key that hung close to the scanner. Without noticing anything suspicious the librarian handed the book back to Lily and Lily immediately bolted out the door.

As Lily made her way up the stairs to the apartment she glanced down at the key she stole. Pleased that she was able to take the key without so much as a jingle, she brushed her fingers across the victorious steal. On the tag connected to the key ring she noticed the word _"_ _Loft"_ written in her mother's handwriting and the mere recognition of it made her feel a slight pang of guilt for how she had disrespected her mother earlier. Lily rolled her eyes and regretted what had transpired. It wasn't her mother's fault that the people of this town were ignorant. She knew that she should have to apologize, but the deed was done and her pride had gotten the best of her. Perhaps she would understand after she talked to her later.

She thought about the stolen key some more as it rested in her hand. She knew that the apartment belonged to her mother now, so technically it wasn't stealing. At least that's how she would justify it to her parents should they confront her about it later. She was about to place the key into the lock when she noticed to her surprise that it was already open. With the door left ajar, Lily cautiously pushed the door slowly and called to whoever was inside, " _Hello?_ Hello? Is anyone here?"

Suddenly a young boy came into view who was hiding in the bedroom. Not just any young boy, Neal. "Oh! It's just you. Thank goodness," he said with great relief as he came out of hiding.

" _You?!_ " cried out Lily furiously.

"I can explain-" said Neal as he raised his hands to her, showing her as if he was unarmed.

"-Get out!" exclaimed Lily as she showed him the door, leaving it open wide for him to leave promptly.

"Listen-"

"-You're not supposed to be here."

" _Will you listen?!_ " shouted Neal. The sudden raising of his voice caught Lily off-guard and she stopped arguing for a moment to listen. He gave out a frustrated huff and then calmly explained, "I'm here because… I needed to think. Before your family moved here this… this apartment had been my favorite place in all of Storybrooke. It's the only place I can really think around here."

"I know," she replied knowingly. At her response, he stared at her quizzically. She knew that this was Neal's favorite hiding spot – the Neal from her vision in the alternate universe. As soon as she realized this she corrected herself, "I mean, the _you_ from another universe told me so as well."

Neal appeared to still be confused but carried on with his explanation, "Look, I came here to think and… I want to apologize to you."

"You _do?_ " Lily asked while raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"I know that… moving here hasn't exactly been easy for you and that, uh, people have been less than welcoming around here."

"I shall say so," Lily agreed in retort. She was still unimpressed by his presence there and folded her arms across her chest.

Neal looked up at Lily and saw the scratches on her face. Almost instantly he was pained by guilt and it reminded him of how anti-heroic he was. "I'm sorry for Alex and-and for not being there to stop those guys from bullying you today."

"Well, why didn't you?" she scolded most accusingly with anger ebbing in her voice.

"I was afraid… afraid of getting into trouble with my family," he admitted out loud. He truly felt ashamed for what he had done. "You know, I've got some pretty big shoes to fill and with my family being who they are and… and standing by like that… well, that wasn't very heroic of me."

His explanation was understandable and she backed down from her defensive position as she replied more calmly, "Yeah, your-uh, family is pretty legendary around here… _and_ out there."

"So, you understand?"

Lily nodded, but then pointed out, "I understand… but being scared is a poor reason for not doing the right thing. And… just so you know, just because your parents are heroes doesn't mean that you have to be them. Just as how everyone believes my father to be this bad guy, it doesn't mean that I am. Just… just be yourself."

"I know, but I made a mistake and," he paused for a moment and then determinedly looked up into her eyes and vowed, "I will do better by you next time."

Seeing that he truly felt sorry for his transgressions against her, she decided to accept his apology and changed the subject. "So… how _did_ you get in here? This apartment belongs to my family now and I know for a fact that my mother likes to keep this place locked up."

Neal gave out a mischievous grin as he held up an identical pair of keys to her. "You forget that there was a time when it wasn't your mother running the library. I made a copy of the original for my own keepsake."

"Ah, well, next time… don't leave the door open."

"I won't," agreed Neal as they found themselves caught in an awkward silence. Seeing that Lily was rocking back and forth on her heels waiting for him to say something else, he blurted out the first thing that came to his head to break the tension and said, "So… uh, this project we're going to be working on together-"

"-I don't usually work well with others," said Lily abruptly and honestly, catching Neal by surprise. "I'll have the project completed for us by the end of this weekend."

"You see, that's all well and good but my mom… well, she's very good at her job. She'll know whether or not we've worked together."

" _Really?_ How?"

"I'm not sure how. Call it, a _'_ _super power'_."

" _Okay…_ " said Lily, unsure of his cryptic explanation. "So, are we going to meet somewhere, or-"

"I'll find you," Neal said automatically without realizing what it was that he had said. He looked down on the floor and chuckled to himself over the sentimental statement. A dashing smile blossomed on his face. He had heard the story about his parents a million times and for the first time he finally felt the significance of those words as they came out of his mouth, " _I will always find you_."

Lily wasn't sure what to make of the statement or what it was that Neal found so amusing. So she dismissed the curious reaction and asked with uncertainty, "So… I suppose that means we're friends now, right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess so," he said as he finally left her alone in the apartment and closed the door. When the apartment was silent a brilliant smile grew on her face. "I knew it."

… …

Henry never allowed his grandfather out of his sight while he volunteered at the pawn shop. Initially, during the past week, Gold would visit the shop and whenever Henry needed to leave to travel to another realm he'd somehow excuse his grandfather and lock it up behind him. As the week pressed on Henry quickly found himself running out of creative reasons to lock the shop up and instead found himself trusting in his grandfather's intentions. He really just wanted to bring magic back and it as evident by all the help he was receiving and how immaculate the shop was. But what could he possibly get from the Enchanted Forest that could secure magic in this world? It had to be something that would counter deity magic, Henry speculated.

As much as Henry wanted to trust his grandfather, there were details to his plans that were still unclear and that uncertainty kept him skeptical. Henry hovered over by the counter adjacent to his grandfather who was standing by the register filing away notecards. Every so often, Henry glanced over at Gold with his peripheral vision. _What is he plotting?_ Henry wondered. _Is he plotting something right now?_ _What is he thinking?_

Gold, sensing Henry's guarded disposition, noted out loud, "You have to learn to trust me, Henry. I've run this shop longer than before you were born."

"Forgive me for saying this, but it's not your ability to run this shop that I don't trust."

"I've already told you of my intentions for being here. And for the record, I've also never lied to you," said Gold calmly and assuredly.

"You've got to understand, I've worked very hard over the past several years to change the face of this shop and its reputation. If people see you working by yourself, it'll taint all the trust and progress I've built with the community. You do realize that this is now a shop to help people, right?"

"Of course. Though, not exactly the best way of achieving a profit," murmured Gold under his breath, "but I understand. However, you must understand that I, too, have changed. Living in New York with my family… _without magic_ I might add… it's made me a better person."

"I want to believe that…" Henry began to say. He could actually hear the sincerity in his voice. After a few moments of debating with himself he decided to take a leap of faith and said, "…Once a week." Gold seemed to perk at the progress between them as Henry continued, "You can run the shop one day each week without my supervision, but I decide which day that is. Any other time I must be present."

"I can work with that," agreed Mr. Gold.

"Good," replied Henry as he resumed his paperwork and they both continued working in silence.

As easy as it could have been for Gold to overpower his grandson and take Cogsworth for his own benefit he decided against it. He valued the relationship he had with his grandson and thought it more worthwhile to just simply concede to his wishes. Just a week ago, Henry seemed open to the prospect of bringing back magic to Storybrooke and if time was all that he needed to trust him to travel to his Dark Castle under the books, then so be it. If Henry was any other person, Gold would have simply taken what he wanted, but since Henry was his grandson who technically owned the shop it made getting what he wanted just a bit more complicated. Patience. Patience was all Gold needed to achieve what he desired and if he made this much progress with Henry in this short amount of time, then getting to the Enchanted Forest wouldn't take that much longer.

"Just so you know, I discovered a small loop-hole in your M.T.A. contract," mentioned Gold nonchalantly.

" _Have_ you?"

Seeing that he caught his grandson's attention, he raised a knowing eye-brow and replied, "The contract does specifically name Rumplestiltskin, but not Mr. Gold."

"But _you're_ Rumplestiltskin."

"Ah, yes, but as we've discussed, I'm a changed man. With your mother's curse, along with the displacement of many others like myself, came with a change in alias. I'm known in this land as Mr. Gold and with it the documents to contest my stipulation with the M.T.A."

Henry furrowed his eyebrows and said with confusion, "Okay… that gets you into the Enchanted Forest, but that doesn't allow you passage back to Storybrooke. You'll need a pass-"

"-M.T.A. passport. Yes, I know. I've already paid my fee and applied for one." Seeing that Henry still wasn't convinced, Gold continued, "The contract only states that Rumplestiltskin not be granted passage. It doesn't say that Mr. Gold cannot apply for a passport."

"That may be true, but like any application you can still be denied it."

"According to the application, so long as you pay the fee, anyone who applies will not be denied passage. But," said Gold as he walked around the counter to stand closer to Henry, "things would go a lot smoother if I had your support."

"I'll see what I can do."

Just then Belle entered the Pawn Shop and without her normal usual greeting she walked straight up to her husband in a huff and said, "Rumple, we need to talk."

Seeing this as his cue to give the couple some privacy, Henry said quickly before escaping to the back of the shop, "I'll just… be in the back."

Rumple nodded then turned to his wife and said, "I'm curious to hear about this problem that can't wait for home."

"That's precisely the reason why I'm here. You spend so much time here at the shop that Lily feels like she doesn't ever see you. It's like you never retired. Lily's upset over something that happened to her at school which she can't seem to tell me and requests you every time I confront her about it."

"Well, I can see that my presence at home is sorely missed."

"It is," accused Belle with a raised eyebrow.

All while keeping his cool and without batting an eye he said, "Well then I won't leave so early in the mornings and I'll be home waiting for you both to return from work and school."

"You'll-!" Belle started out accusatively, anticipating resistance but when his response was most compliant she lowered her voice and asked quizzically, "Wait, you _will?_ "

"Yes, I will," he confirmed with collective assurance. He then looked down briefly as he admitted, "I, uh… also apologize…" Belle was caught off-guard by the unexpected apology and continued to listen. "…for not being there for you both. I'll make more of a concerted effort to not make that same mistake again."

Belle was so stunned by the apology and how well and brief their parenting conversation went that she stood there with a furrowed brow, feeling confused as if she had to be upset with him about something. Instead she was left speechless. "Is there something else?" he asked.

In a more subdued and serious voice, Belle replied, "Lily came to me today with a few scratch marks on her face. She wouldn't tell me what happened, but I think she may be getting bullied at school."

Gold silently nodded as he understood, "I'll speak with her later this evening. Go fetch Lily from the library and head home. I'll be home soon."

Belle nodded in agreement and then stepped forward kissing her husband a quick farewell on the cheek, "I'll see you at home then."

"See you," he said with a heartfelt smile. Belle backed away from her husband and exited the shop but before the door had a chance to close all the way Emma Swan and her husband Killian Jones stepped through the door. From the doorway he could hear the remnants of a heated conversation as they walked in.

"…Why are you ashamed of this? Your whole family should know. This is a cause for celebration!"

"Not now, Killian," hushed Emma as she suddenly realized who was standing in front of them.

"Ms. Swan," greeted Mr. Gold as he waited patiently to hear whatever ailments befell upon the dynamic duo with still clasped hands on the counter.

"Gold," she said with a bit of shock in her voice.

"With as much foot traffic as I'm seeing today, I am beginning to see why Henry can never get anything done around here. What can I do for you Ms. Swan?"

"You see," pointed out Killian as he snapped his fingers at him, "I knew your retirement was a farce," retorted Killian eyeing his old foe skeptically.

"This is Henry's shop now. Where's Henry?" Emma asked protectively, suspicious of his presence there.

"You can both relax. Henry and I have worked out a deal and he knows full well of my presence here. In fact, he's in the back room. I'm only here assisting him because apparently, with no help from you lot, he's got a lot on his plate. Shall I go fetch him for you?"

" _Mom?_ Mom, is that you?" called out Henry from the back.

"Yeah, uh, we need to talk. M.T.A. stuff," she answered back as Henry made his way to the front of the store.

"What about it?" he asked as he stood next to his grandfather from behind the counter.

"There was another vandalism over by the ice cream shop," said Emma as she placed the vandal's curious arrow on the counter before them.

"Still having trouble with your assailant, I see," noted Gold almost condescendingly. Before a word could be retorted, Henry chimed in and said, "The last time we talked you said that you were going to talk to Robin and his people. Didn't that lead to any suspects?"

"Unfortunately, no. Each of them had a witness to corroborate their whereabouts during the time of each vandalism. They also passed my lie detection."

"Ah yes. Storybrooke's most reliable interrogative methods," jabbed Gold.

Emma ignored his jest and simply responded with an eye-roll as she continued, "I've talked to people who are sympathetic to not wanting magic in Storybrooke and the consensus seems to be that anyone who had wanted to go home is already there and that there shouldn't be any reason for magical transportation or magic for that matter. In fact, it was the one thing that they all had in common and the reason why most people decided to stay here. In regards to the locations of these vandalisms, it appears to be only the buildings whose tenants used to possess magic. And the only thing I've got on this vandal is a nickname."

"A lot can be said about a name. Even if it is a nickname," said Gold who was the only expert in the room on names. "What do these sympathizers call this vandal?"

"They keep referring to this person as _The Vigilante_ , but I don't see how knowing that has helped my case. If anything, it's only riled up the sympathizers. I've questioned all the owners of each establishment and they seem to be ambivalent to the cause. So far we haven't had any outsiders from this world question the rash of crime and frankly I want to keep it that way. As of right now, all I really want to do is nip this in the bud."

"So what does this have to deal with the M.T.A.?" wondered Henry.

"I think for the time being we should stop all magical transportation, just until I can find this vandal. I don't want agitate The Vigilante any further."

"I believe that we can work out a deal," offered Gold.

"This isn't up for negotiation," said Emma putting her foot down. "Henry is obligated to comply due to the agreement he signed on the charter. It has nothing to deal with you."

"On the contrary, I believe I can help you with your problem. If you allow Henry to continue using Cogsworth, I can help you catch your vandal."

" _Oh really?_ And how do you propose we do that?" Killian asked sarcastically.

"It seems to me that what you have is an infestation, and like any pest all you need to do is set up a trap, bringing the pest to you instead of you to it. So whatever it is you use to lure your pest, it must be incredibly enticing, otherwise it'll never work."

" _Lure?_ It's like you're asking us to fish for the Lochness Monster. We don't know anything about this vandal, let alone what it likes!" claimed Killian.

"Yes we do," contradicted Emma as she picked up the arrow she had placed before them when they walked in and stared at it. An idea was forming in her head. "We can have an archery contest and the winner… will determine the final say over Storybrooke's magical status."

"Interesting diplomacy. I'm sure Regina will be thrilled," quipped Mr. Gold acerbically.

"There won't actually be a final say because by then we'll be able to match the archer's arrows to the vigilante's, which we have plenty to compare to," claimed Emma as she held the arrow up for all to see. "Thanks for the idea, Gold."

"My pleasure," he replied with an artificial smile. Everyone stood for a moment out of shock to see him be so welcoming, but with Henry nearby Gold made sure to put on his best face. Killian never broke his skeptical gaze with Gold as both he and Emma left the shop. Clearly, Gold was up to something. They all could sense it, but they couldn't exactly put into words what to accuse him of. After they left, Henry broke the silence and said, "Well that worked out better than I thought."

"There's always another option. Never forget that Henry," mentioned Gold as he made his way past Henry.

"I won't," acknowledged Henry as he looked at his grandfather curiously. It was clear to Henry how easy it was for Gold to take authority over a situation and noticed how intimidating he still was. However welcoming Gold did try to be, Henry couldn't help but sense that it was all to please him. He needed to observe his grandfather some more, and wondered if he was too hasty in relinquishing the one day a week liberty. It was too late though. The deal had already been struck between the two. It was, after all, just one day. How could one day be harmful? Henry hoped he wouldn't be regretting giving him that privilege later.

Gold broke Henry's train of thought when he said, "I'm going to go dust and organize some vials in the back."

"Uh, yeah. Sure. Thanks. That would be helpful," said Henry to Gold. Gold didn't turn around to wait for Henry's permission as he continued forward to the back. "I'll-uh, I'll just be out front then," stated Henry.

Gold didn't say another word as he left his grandson. While in the back of the shop he looked through some cabinets and plucked out an empty vial. He glanced up to make sure Henry wasn't observing and then withdrew his purple talisman from within his pocket. Henry knew of the source of his power and knowing from his past experiences, Gold wanted to maintain that part of the illusion. Misdirection was always the key to having the upper hand. He placed the empty vial down and glanced down at the broach in his hand. The brilliance of the amethyst stone was getting duller. His power was draining. He could have done this at home, but with Belle constantly at his side and Lily so close by he couldn't risk the exposure. He waved his hand over the broach and in a magical purple cloud an identical necklace appeared in his hand.

"Hey Grandpa…" called out Henry from the front of the store as he made his way to the back. Gold quickly pocketed the two necklaces without being noticed as Henry turned the corner and entered the room. "Could you grab another vial for me. Seeing Emma reminded me to grab a vial for Regina. She asked me earlier to grab one and your dusting reminded me of it."

"I'll be right out in a moment with it," grinned Gold as he picked up the vial for his grandson.

* * *

 **Hey guys! Sorry for the belated posting. I had suffered from writer's block last week which threw me off my usual editing schedule. I had also participated in an event for work yesterday which left me little time to dedicate to this. Thank you ladybugsmomma, Imusicluver23, Grace5231973, and Montreat11 for your reviews and your patience! Glad to read how you all liked Roland's rescue. I'll post another chapter on Wednesday. My treat. My apologies!**


	7. A Curious Feeling

Belle turned to look at her daughter while they were driving home from the library. With the full intentions of saying something to her, Belle found that she really couldn't think of anything to say. Before Belle could start the conversation, Lily left the car as soon as they arrived home running as though to avoid any more of the awkward silence like they shared in the car ride there. Belle rolled her eyes as she slowly followed her daughter inside the house. The moment Belle entered the house and closed the front door, she heard the slam of her daughter's bedroom door and gave out a frustrated sigh. She tossed the keys that were in her hands onto the small table next to the coat stand and began to remove her jacket when the front door opened again and her husband came through it.

"She's upstairs in her bedroom when you're ready to talk to her," addressed Belle to her husband as he too proceeded to remove his black trench coat and hung it on the coat rack.

"Then that is what I shall do," said Gold as he moved passed Belle and ascended the stairway to the second floor. Gold stood before his daughter's bedroom door and gave a courteous knock. Without waiting for a response he went ahead and opened the door. He knew that she wouldn't have responded anyways. Whenever Lily was upset, silence was her mask to hide her thoughts from everybody. A behavior, he speculated, she had probably learned from him.

He found her sitting on the edge of her bed rereading the passages of her journal about her vision from a year ago. "You're worrying your mother," he pointed out as he sat down beside her on the bed. Lily kept her reserved silence as she stared at the notebook before her, flipping through the pages as he looked on with her. "Let me take a look at your face," he requested and she turned her head, looking up at her father with grief. He took his hand and gently placed it on her face, inspecting every inch of it as any concerned parent would. He carefully and slowly moved her head to the left and right and noticed the scuff marks Belle was talking about on Lily's cheek. "Hmm, still beautiful as ever," he remarked calmly, as if he saw nothing wrong with her. Lily smiled a little bit over her father's loving remark, but then immediately looked down at her book with sadness.

"I miss you," said Lily finally.

"I never left," said Gold casually.

"I really wish you didn't visit the pawn shop as much," expressed Lily.

"Why?"

"I just… don't see you as often."

"Is that the only reason?" Gold pressed.

She looked back down at the journal. About a week ago, her father had returned the notebook to her after it had been in Henry's hands over at the Pawn Shop. All that had transpired in her dream and of what she knew of Storybrooke Henry now knew and she felt exposed because of it. Somehow Henry had gotten ahold of her vision journal. Perhaps, she speculated, he was trying to figure out her weaknesses, so that one day he might try to control her like he did in her vision. Her vision was bleeding through to reality and she was having issues distinguishing between the two. Henry never actually harmed her, not in this universe. In this universe, she attacked him for Cogsworth and that made her his antagonist. The bad guy. The villain.

Whether she liked it or not Henry was family, but personally, she still had her reservations about him. She didn't like how Henry was snooping into her business, and with the compounded distrust she still had of him it only made her opinion of him worse. "I… I don't trust Henry."

Gold chortled briefly over the weird anxiety, dismissing her suspicions as ungrounded. "Henry? _Really?_ Why?"

"I don't know. I can't explain it. I just don't."

"I imagine that your first impressions of Henry are based off of what you experienced through your vision, and I bet that they weren't all that great. According to your vision, he was possessed by The Author and I know from having been recently possessed by The Author, that Henry wasn't in control. So technically, he didn't kidnap you. It was The Author. Your biases against Henry are based from your vision and sometimes our visions are not what they appear to be. Believe me when I say that there are far worse things than Henry to be afraid of out there. I know because… well, I'm one of the worst. Henry should be the least of your concerns." Seeing that she clearly needed more support from him he added, "So if my staying home more often will make you happy and help you through this, then I will do that for you." Lily looked up at her father and then fell into his side for an embrace. He gratefully gathered his daughter into his arms and as they did the journal that was in Lily's lap fell to the floor. He stared down at the notebook on the floor and thought about her vision. Why was she looking at it again? It wasn't like she hadn't already committed the vision to memory. It _was_ her vision after all. Unless she was reflecting and dwelling upon a good memory. She was looking through her notebook for a reason and it made him curious. "Something tells me though," he said as he broke from her embrace to pick up the notebook, "that you being upset isn't just about my not being around, or Henry. I think that it has something to deal with this."

Lily was caught off-guard by her father's perceptive observation and spoke hesitantly. "Storybrooke… isn't as how I had imagined it to be."

"Don't you mean, as you had envisioned it?" corrected Gold as they both looked at the book in his hands. It was her vision after all that filled its' pages.

"Papa…" Lily said while looking down at her fingers as she fidgeted. "…when you had magic you saw visions, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"After what you saw, how were you able to not worry about the future? How were you able to understand what was real?" All she could think of was Neal and the stark contrast of personalities she had experienced of him in both her vision and in her current reality.

"Well, for starters I didn't have them all the time. And when I did have them, I chose to believe in the parts I already knew to be true and ignored the rest. When it comes to visions, especially premonitions it's easy to get lost in the future and forget to live in the present." His brow furrowed with concern as he asked more seriously, "Why, are you having visions again?"

"No, it's just… the people, I mean, there's a person that's… well, different. And I-I can't understand why he's so different around me?"

" _He…?_ " Gold began to say as he put two and two together. There was only one other person Lily had the most interaction with during her vision and he instantly knew who she was referring to… Neal Nolan. As soon as he realized who the _he_ was, he gave a disapproving look and said disappointedly, " _Really? Him?_ "

Confused, Lily asked, "What?"

Gold continued on with his opinion as he questioned rhetorically to himself, "What is it about these Charmings that my children find so endearing? They certainly are living up to their name, that's for sure…"

"What are you talking about, Papa?" Lily asked, questioning his ramblings.

"Never-mind. You're still way too young, but just so you know… you're not dating anyone until you're at least fifty."

Still baffled as to what her father was alluding to, she responded by saying, "Okay…"

Gold shook his head blithely over the notion and then asked getting straight to the point, "So what are we going to do about the children bullying you at school?" Flabbergasted and unexpected, Lily had no idea as to what to say. Gold continued, "Your mother and I are worried about you."

Lily shrugged her shoulders, feeling at a total loss for options, "I-I don't know."

"Just say the word and I can make sure nobody ever does this to you again."

"No Papa! I…I mean, thank you but um…" Lily didn't want to set her father down the path to revenge and quickly changed the subject, "I-I did make two friends today."

"Two friends? Wow, and in one day too. See," he said as he gave his daughter an encouraging nudge of his shoulder bumping into hers softly, "I told you'd start making friends once school started." Gold was pleased if not relieved to hear that she was making progress on the social front. "And who are these wonderful individuals?"

"Roland Locksley and Neal Nolan."

"And uh… which one of these boys should I be concerned about the most?"

"What do you mean?" asked Lily confused by what her father was implying.

"Which one do you have a crush on?" he asked bluntly. He knew exactly what the answer was, but he pried and pressed anyways if only to hear her confirm his suspicions. Lily rolled her eyes. "It's not like that at all Papa," she denied quickly.

" _Mmhmm_ , sure." Gold said with disbelief.

"No, seriously. Neal and I are friends because of the school project we were assigned to together."

" _Oh_ , so it's Neal I should keep an eye out for?" pressed Gold who was intentionally trying to invoke a reaction from her.

" _Papa! I'm eight!_ "

"Alright! Alright. I'm just glad that your making friends," he said giving up his interrogation as he patted her on the lap. Seeing that the conversation was going well Gold got up from the bed and made his way to exit the room. Before completely leaving he stopped at the door's threshold and turned to face Lily. "Oh, and one more thing. When dinner is ready I expect you to be much kinder to your mother from now on. She loves you very much and is doing her best to help you adjust to this new town. You should be more respectful to her and not dismiss her so quickly."

"I will, Papa," obliged Lily obediently.

With much of the air having been cleared by Gold and Lily's heart to heart discussion, dinner was much more enjoyable that evening. As Lily sat down at the dinner table she watched her father attempt to hang his overcoat jacket around the back of his chair, but when Belle went to remove it Gold immediately removed it for her and hung it up on the coat rack. Lily couldn't help but think that there was something her father was carrying that made him uncharacteristically protective over a garment. As soon as Belle placed two spinach quiche pies on the table a dialogue began among the family and her mind wandered to the conversation at hand.

With the careful prodding and support from Gold, Lily was able to open up more at the dinner table. When the topic of how she had received the marks on her cheek was broached Belle asked again, "So are you finally going to tell me how you received those scratches on your face?"

Silence fell on the table as they all continued their meal. Lily looked to her father for encouragement and remembered the agreement she had made with him from earlier. Gold gave her a slight nod to go on as he lifted his fork to take another bite of his meal. "A-a boy… pushed me down to the ground… and held me there. It was Roland who saved me."

"You were _pushed?!_ " questioned Belle with slight alarm. Lily nodded as she pushed some food around on her plate. She suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore. She could already sense where this conversation was going.

"How would you like me to dispos- I mean, handle your tormentors?" asked Gold blithely, taking the napkin that was on his lap and casually wiping the corners of his mouth like. Lily looked up at her father curiously, wondering why he would ask again to take care of her problem. It was odd because his behavior seemed like he really wanted to go after her bullies. As if he took pleasure in hurting other people. Was it retribution, or was there something more to it? She didn't know. What Lily did know was that she found his calm and collective demeanor most unsettling and unlike him. She never saw him react to revenge so nonchalantly before. Belle, on the other hand, recognized the strange behavior only too well.

"Rumple!" condemned Belle. She knew quite well that Rumple would never harm another child, but she saw through the subtext of it all and his harmless threat was far more salient and insidious than what he wanted them to believe. Taking revenge on Lily's bullies was not something Rumplestiltskin would do, but would certainly be something Rumplestiltskin would do as the Dark One. For Belle, a lot of time had passed since their time together in the Dark Castle of the Enchanted Forest, but she could still remember all of her correspondences with him. As the Dark One, she knew Rumple to relish in any opportunity to perpetuate fear, so long as that fear was what helped him establish and perpetuate his power over others. For centuries, his power paralyzed people from all across the realms and it made anyone think twice about ever threatening him again. So here they were, faced in a position where someone threatened his family. If he was the Dark One, revenge would be the first thing he would resort to, to solve his problems. _If_ … he was the Dark One, but he wasn't. _He couldn't be. Not anymore._ Belle thought for certain. Not since she vanquished The Author as well as the Dark One curse last year with True Love's Kiss. So then why was he acting this way?

"No! It's alright," Lily explained right away, breaking Belle's train of thought. "Roland defended me."

After taking his cue from his daughter, Gold backed down from his staunch position. Gold glanced over at his wife and reworded his support, "I trust that you'll tell us if you need our help. We just don't want to see you get hurt. That's all. Oh… and uh," he leaned forward to his daughter so that only she could hear what he was saying, "between you and me, just say the word and I'll take care of your problem."

"No, Papa. That's not what I want."

"And _not_ the way you should handle problems," said Belle indignantly toward her husband as she crossed her arms in front of her. Gold rolled his eyes and stabbed a piece of his dinner, shoving another piece of the quiche into his mouth. "You should always vocalize to us the problems you're having. As a family we can fight through together whatever issue you have." Belle reached across the table and placed a caring hand on Lily's arm. Lily looked up from her arm to her mother and saw the seriousness in her eyes, " _Any_ issue. Ok?"

Lily could tell that she meant what she said and felt encouraged by it. She responded with an assuring smile, "Ok." Feeling that she was no longer hungry Lily asked her mother, "May I be excused now?"

"Take your dishes to the sink. Your father will check in on you later," instructed Belle. Without saying another word, Lily did as she was told and immediately proceeded to her bedroom. Belle turned to Gold who had stood up and collected his own dishes. As soon as Lily left the dining room Belle asked, "Were you seriously going to do something to the kids who bullied our daughter?"

"Of course not, but," he said as he collected her dishes as well, "sometimes it does well to follow through on a threat. Otherwise, people will take advantage of your kindness."

Not agreeing with his reasoning, Belle protested, "I would certainly hope that is not the example we are to set for our daughter. If she went by your logic she could really hurt herself, or worse, hurt somebody else."

"I wasn't going to physically hurt any child. Perhaps frighten them into never hurting our daughter again, but never harm anyone."

"Oh, so your plan was to terrorize some poor child."

"Well, yeah. How else would they learn?" Belle scoffed at his statement and shook her head in disgust. She got up and followed her husband to the sink as Gold continued his thought, "Besides, Lily said that she didn't want any assistance from us so there's no point in us arguing over the matter."

Belle heaved a heavy defeated sigh as she replaced him at the kitchen sink and seeing that the conversation was clearly over Gold walked off in the opposite direction. He went to the coatrack and retrieved his jacket but as he felt the charmed necklace smack inaudibly at his side he thought about the power that weighed him down inside his pocket. He had full intentions of going down to his basement to complete his work when he thought about his daughter's still injured cheek and proceeded upstairs to her bedroom instead.

As he slowly ascended the stairway he thought about the words that were exchanged over the dinner table. Did Belle seriously believe that he would do harm to another child? Weren't they beyond this old skepticism? With Belle questioning his judgement it only made him believe that if she knew the truth about his magic she would only become more distant from him and thus jeopardizing their relationship in the process. It was then that Gold realized that Belle must never know he has magic again, or at least not know that he was the reason for its return.

It frustrated Gold knowing how much Belle disapproved magic. Deep down, he honestly couldn't tell if Belle truly understood how much magic was integrated into his existence. In some way, it made him feel that she could never truly accept him unless she could accept his magic and until that day happened they would forever be at odds with each other. Ever since his encounter with the Author, ridding his curse as The Dark One, he believed that the magic he carried with him was somewhat different this time; that it wasn't all dark. If only Belle could see it the same way as he did.

As he got closer to his daughter's bedroom door, he realized that he knew of at least one person who would accept him and his magic, his daughter. He knocked gently at the door only to hear no response. He opened Lily's door slightly only to discover that she had already fallen asleep in her bed. "Lily?" he said softly to her. No movement. She was asleep.

He walked in and lifted the comforter that was at the end of her bed and covered her body. As he tucked her in he caught a glimpse of the scratches on her face and it pained him. A sudden surge of anger sprung within him and his urge to retaliate started to fester, but then he thought about his magic and how this time… it was different. As he reached down into his pocket he felt the charmed necklace and could sense his rage waning. As his fingers groped the rough décor he felt certain that having magic again in Storybrooke was the right thing to do and it only reaffirmed his intentions.

Rumplestiltskin ran through the justifications in his mind. Storybrooke is magic and to reject its existence would be like rejecting one's own origin. Bringing magic back was not only appropriate, it was part of the town's unique history and it felt right to do it. Seeing that Lily was asleep he felt no harm in healing her with magic, so he lifted his hand and waved his purple glowing hand over her injury. Almost instantly her injury disappeared. Feeling like he did all he could to be a supportive father he kissed her on her head goodnight and left her bedroom undisturbed, or so he thought.

As soon as he left her bedroom Lily bolted upright and felt her cheek. She could still feel the warm, tingly remnants of what he did to her face and recognized it immediately… _magic_. She could recognize the curious feeling anywhere. _But how did he have it?_ She wondered. Her mother made sure magic no longer existed, so how was that at all possible? Did he have magic this entire time? Was he the only person that could still wield magic? Were there others? So many questions ran through Lily's brain that she couldn't help but feel the curious need to investigate. For Lily, to investigate her father's magic would mean an unaccompanied adventure down into her father's basement which was a place she was told to never go to without permission.

The night carried on and she waited inside her bedroom, listening ever so intently for her parents to make their way to bed. The moment their door shut she crept outside her bedroom and slowly walked down the stairway. The house when darkened became an eerie place. The fear made her miss the old condo in New York, but if she could prove that her father carried around magic with him it would justify her reasoning for moving here. She had to investigate. She just had to know for certain! Just the mere possibility of magic was exciting and it trumped her fear of the old Victorian house.

She still wasn't accustomed to the sounds of the place as she placed each careful foot on the ground. With each passing step the floorboards seemed to sense her weight and creaked after each placed step. The house reacted to her as if it were alive, giving out little alarms to her nightly meanderings. In the darkness the wind outside made the house move and creak in a frightful manner. As the house seemed to breathe with the wind so did she and with each creak she moved slowly forward. After about ten minutes or so she was able to match her movements to the rhythm of the house and made it to the bottom of the house undetected.

As she turned to make her way to the basement, her heart pounded in her chest. She could still feel the residual traces of magic on her cheek and remembered distinctly that feeling that magic always gave her; like water on her cheek that was barely damped away. As she got closer to the basement she felt the magic become colder on her cheek. Intuitively, Lily felt like she was going the wrong way, like she wasn't going to find the answers in her father's basement, but over by the… coat rack?

She made an about-face and walked towards the opposite direction of the basement and got closer to the coat rack instead. She wondered why her intuition was drawing her to the coat rack, but then saw her father's dress coat. _Of course!_ As she got closer, the warmth from her cheek matched the sensation of her overall body which only confirmed that her intuition and father's suspicious coat were correct. She could tell that she was getting closer to magic. She stood in front of the rack and felt through her father's jacket, checking through all the pockets as she went.

She felt something hard from the outside of his right coat pocket and slipped her hand inside. As soon as she felt the object she quickly pulled it out of the pocket to inspect it closer. It was a necklace that she recognized from her vision. It belonged to the witch, Zelena. The stone, however, was not as how she had remembered it. Something was different about it. It was dark purple. She dragged her forefinger across the stone and almost instantly, the jewelry began to glow at her touch. The giant amethyst became a beacon of glowing purple and the light beamed directly into Lily's eyes.

In a flash, Lily felt something stir within her. She heard dark sinister voices awaken inside her, but as soon as the voices were starting to become indistinctive they immediately dissipated and were over-powered by the deafening call of the wind. Her hair flew about her and a strange white glow embodied her being. At first Lily couldn't tell what was happening to her, but the moment her skin began radiating the same magical, curious feeling from within her, she knew that somehow her magic had reawakened.

The flash quickly deceased and she found herself standing awestruck in front of the coat rack, holding her father's necklace in the darkened foyer.

* * *

 **Thank you to Grace5231973, Imusicluver23 and Actress10 for your quick magical messages and reviews for the last chapter! What did you guys think? Hope to hear from you all soon. See you next chapter!**


	8. The Wheels Set in Motion

Lily couldn't sleep at all that night. Partially because she was frightened by the sudden return of her powers, but partially because she was excited over the fact that she could now do magic. In fear of waking her parents she immediately returned to bed without being noticed. _Did that really just happen?_ _But magic doesn't exist in Storybrooke, right? How is it that I have magic?_ Lily's mind ran wild trying to figure out what had happened downstairs in the foyer. Thinking that perhaps things would be much clearer in the morning she tried to sleep, but she just couldn't close her eyes. The whole experience was just too overwhelming and shocking not to forget. Truth was, she didn't want to sleep in fear that it was all just a dream. As she laid in bed she thought deeply as to what it all meant. _Am I the only one with magic now? Or does Papa have magic too? What was he doing with that necklace in the first place?_ Lily wondered. When she came down to breakfast the following morning she sat down in front of her usual place with her typical bowl of cereal placed before her. The cereal and milk were already inside but she was missing a spoon. She looked up to address her mother from across the room who was putting away dishes and called, "Mama…"

Lily's eyes caught an available clean spoon that Belle was about to put away and thought about getting up to grab it. She was about to ask her mother for a spoon when suddenly the utensil flew through the air and across the room into Lily's hand. Belle looked up to see a shocked look on her daughter's face, oblivious to what had just happened. "Yes, my love?" she replied lovingly.

Stunned by her own magic, words failed to escape her mouth. "I-uh, um…" Lily stuttered as she tried to think of something quick to say, "I was-I was wondering about your magic?"

"My magic?" asked Belle with the tone of surprise.

"I know you don't ever talk about it much… and I was wondering, well, why that was?" Lily asked spontaneously as she slowly began eating her breakfast.

"Well, I-uh don't really practice it and… magic was never something I had to learn while growing up. Besides, if there's one thing I've learned from your father it's that _all magic comes with a price_. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know," Lily began as she fidgeted with her spoon, "I guess I was half-expecting there to be magic still here when we moved here, and I… I just wondered if the spell you casted actually worked. I-I guess so." Doubting herself, Lily asked anyways just to hear affirmation from her mother, "Is magic really gone from Storybrooke?"

"Of course it is, sweetheart," answered Belle confidently, but the legitimacy of the notion challenged her confidence. _If there was any magic left in Storybrooke, it would explain why Rumple was absent all the time_ , Belle reasoned. Was magic truly gone? The nature of her spell she knew was a derivative of her mother's magic and she knew quite well that deity magic was unlike the magic she was accustomed to. She knew at least that much from her husband. Perhaps a visit to her mother to get some answers would be a good idea after all.

"Good morning," greeted Gold as he entered the dining room with a folded newspaper. He rolled up the newspaper and placed it underneath his armpit as he walked over to the counter to Belle who silently handed him his usual morning coffee. He couldn't help but notice the suspicious silence that had fallen in the room which prompted him to look back and forth to his wife and daughter. "Is something the matter?"

For a moment Belle was entranced in her own thoughts and promptly snapped out of it to answer her husband's question, "She-Lily, um, wanted to know for certain whether or not magic was truly gone from Storybrooke."

"Magic?" Gold turned to look at his daughter when he noticed something slightly different about her. Her hair appeared to be wind-blown and disheveled and her eyes slightly darkened. Wanting to quickly avoid answering the question right away he asked Lily, "Are you alright, sweetheart?"

"I'm fine! I'm fine… I'm fine," answered Lily skittishly as if she repeated to only reassure herself.

"Three _'_ _fines'_ ," observed Belle with surprise as she stood from behind the kitchen counter. "That's… reassuring."

Lily nervously gathered her unkempt hair and quickly tied it with a hair tie as she tried to think of something to derail her parents' concern, "I-I had a hard time sleeping last night. That's all."

"Mmhm," registered Gold incredulously as he took his first sip of coffee. "And… all this talk about magic?" he asked as he slowly got close beside her.

Lily began to feel claustrophobic and panicked. "I was just wondering, ok? I just- I don't understand how a place that was born from magic suddenly doesn't have it anymore. It doesn't make sense to me."

"A legitimate query," posed Gold in concurrence as he sat down beside her. Lily pushed her cereal bowl forward and declared as she got up from her chair, "I'm not hungry anymore. I'm going to go out on my bike for a while."

"Wait!" halted her mother as Lily crossed the dining room's threshold. Belle walked around the counter grabbing Lily's library book that was on the kitchen counter along the way. She handed the book off to her daughter and said, "Don't forget your book."

Without so much as a thank you, Lily silently took the book from her mother, grabbed her book bag by the coat rack and bolted out the front door. Before the front door slammed shut, Gold managed to shout out quickly to Lily, "Be back home by lunch!" Surprised by the odd interaction they had he turned to Belle and asked, "Is she like this _every_ morning?"

"Yes," replied Belle as she gave out a defeated sigh, "Sometimes worse."

"Hmm," acknowledged Gold as he took another sip of his coffee, "I'll look into it."

…

Lily pedaled as hard as she could on her bike looking back to make sure her father wasn't following behind her like he did last time. She felt alarmed by her own abilities. Why was her father carrying around that necklace? Was she cursed now that she had touched it? It was then that Lily realized that this was the reason why her father gave strict orders to never venture down into the basement. She would be meddling in magic she didn't understand. She felt cursed by this town. Ever since they had moved to Storybrooke she had been bullied, beat up and worst of all alone. Something happened to her and she was too afraid to talk to her parents about what she had done.

She pedaled until she was out of breath and found herself coasting into town. She zoomed down the side streets when suddenly she passed by the street leading to her grandfather's flower shop. She skidded to a rubber-screeching halt as she stared down the street. Perhaps she wasn't as alone as she had thought. Could her grandmother and grandfather be in there now? Perhaps her grandmother would help her with her situation and maybe answer a few of her questions.

To this day, Lily still couldn't believe that she was related to Mary Poppins. For the longest time all she ever knew of her family were just her parents. When Lily discovered that Mary was not only a deity with her own brand of magic but her own grandmother as well it made her once small family that much bigger and that much more incredible. Lily's seen the movies and read the books, but nothing she's seen or read captured the personality of her grandmother in real life. Perhaps it was through her experiences that led to her enigmatic quirkiness. Whatever it was, Lily had confidence that her grandmother would be most obliging.

The necklace Lily's father possessed had to be of dark magic Lily speculated, but it didn't explain what happened to her afterwards. Like why she initially heard such dark voices in her head or why she suddenly possessed magic in a supposedly non-magical place. As she turned her bike down the road, she realized that seeing her grandparents wasn't such a bad idea after all. She hadn't seen her grandparents in about a year and Mary Poppins was the perfect person to know exactly how to help her with her dilemma.

Lily hopped off of her bike and laid it against the outside wall of the flower shop. She walked through the front door and was immediately greeted by her grandfather who was toying around with a conveyor belt of some sort. "Grandpa?" Lily greeted with a smile.

Maurice turned at the visitor and smiled with glee as he welcomed the little girl with open arms, "Lily! Lily, my dear girl! Come in, come in. Come give your grandfather a hug." Maurice knelt down to her level as Lily ran into his arms. In one swoop Maurice scooped her up in his arms and gave her a wonderful bear-like hug. "It's so good to see you," he said after kissing her on the face once and setting her down on the ground. He sighed happily and remarked, "You are looking more and more like your mother every day."

"On the contrary," interrupted Mary who popped out from the back of the shop to see the reunion, "I see her father. You have his nose and always serious eye-brow ridge." Without saying a word Lily ran up to her grandmother and hugged her fiercely. The two smiled for a moment and when they pulled away from each other Mary asked forwardly, "What is wrong child? You seem troubled."

Both Mary and Maurice saw Lily's darkened eyes and wondered out of concern for the same thing. Lily, unsure of how to respond to such a blunt question redirected, "What makes you say so?"

"Call it a _'_ _grandparent's intuition'_ ," Maurice answered with a warm smile.

"Grandmother… am I, am I _cursed?_ " Lily asked with great hesitation.

"Oh my, such dark inquiry," remarked Mary as she stood up. "Well..."

"No," answered Maurice quickly, but his quick reassurance was contradicted as Mary said at the same time, "Actually…"

Maurice did a double-take, surprised by Mary's response as he registered what she had just said. "She isn't. Is she?"

"Lily, come have a seat," directed Mary as she pointed to a vacant stool for Lily to sit on in the back room. Lily did as she was told as both she and Maurice followed Mary into the back room of the shop. "Lily, let me be frank with you. You are probably the most magical person here in Storybrooke."

"I- _I am?_ " asked Lily, her voice trembling with disbelief. "But how? Mother took magic away using your spell."

"You are the descendent and product of two kinds of magic: Deity and Fairy Tale magic. Inherently, your magic is unique and could very well follow by different rules." Mary's knowing insinuation gave Lily comfort, and her calm reaction to Lily's discovery of her magic made Lily hopeful that her parents would react similarly when she told them.

"But… is she cursed?" wondered Maurice on behalf of both he and Lily.

"It is true, that she inherited magic from her father being the Dark One, but that does not necessarily mean that she was born cursed from it. No child born of True Love is born cursed. That is not how dark magic works. She is also Belle's child, who is a descendent of deity magic; my magic," Mary explained.

"So, what does that mean?" Lily asked.

"It means, that you decide your own fate. That despite your predisposition towards either kind of magic, only you will decide in the end how to dispense your power." Seeing that her explanation didn't give Lily any relief or answer her question she confirmed, "You are not cursed." At her reply, both Maurice and Lily sighed together with relief. "Just burdened with the responsibility that comes with this power."

"Grandmother I… I don't know if I want this power. What if I hurt someone? How could anyone stop me?"

Mary stewed on the question for a moment, as if debating whether or not the information she would divulge would help or cause more problems. She went against her better judgment and replied, "One person could. Henry."

"Henry?" said Maurice and Lily simultaneously. "How?"

"Like you, he possessed magic as a result of him being born a child of True Love. He was also once inhabited by the Author who carried around a pen and that pen could have taken away your magic away and destroyed us all in the process."

"But… Henry destroyed the pen, and mum's True Love Kiss with Papa destroyed the Author," pointed out Lily.

"Then I suppose you have nothing to worry about," stated Mary plainly and unemotionally.

"Grandmother, I have so many questions! Like, where did the pen come from? And why is Henry the one to wield it?" exclaimed Lily as she tried to unburden herself.

"In due time, my sweet. Answers are like medicine and should be taken in particular intervals. Too much at one time can give you indigestion. Don't worry, the answers will come," stated Mary as she walked over to the contraption Maurice was working on. "How are your parents, by the way? I haven't seen either of them since last year. I take it by your presence that their move to Storybrooke was successful."

"They're doing alright, I suppose. Mum is working at the library as Head Librarian and Papa... well, ever since we moved here he's always been at the pawn shop visiting Henry."

"Don't worry," assured Maurice as he came closer to Mary by the machine. Maurice lifted up Mary's hands and took them into his own as he patted them gently, "Belle will come to see us soon."

Mary turned to Maurice and gave a knowing heart-felt smile and acknowledged with wishful disappointment, "I know."

Lily hopped off the stool and gazed upon the contraption her grandparents were hovering by. "What is this?" Lily asked. The machine looked like a hybrid conveyor belt with strange arms at odd angles holding spindles of wrapping paper at one end and a tube being fed flowers on the other.

"This," Maurice said proudly, "will revolutionize the flower business!"

"Maurice, let us not get too excited. It is not complete and is only a prototype," Mary said calmly.

"Bah! Having magic to solve all your problems is one thing, but inventing something, creating a machine with your bare hands without magic… now that's… that's…"

"Magical?" said Lily finishing her grandfather's sentence.

"Well, I was going to say _'_ _exciting'_ , but sure _magical_. It's a bouquet wrapping machine! I'm hoping to work out the kinks before Valentine's day next year. Want to press the button and give it a whirl?" he asked his granddaughter.

"Sure!" said Lily matching her grandfather's excitement as they walked over to what appeared to be a lever of some sort.

"Maurice, I don't think that's such a good-" said Mary with a note of concern in her voice.

"Nonsense! We'll be just fine. Now, give the handle a squeeze… there you go. Now pull down on the lever," instructed Maurice to which Lily complied and pulled the lever. The moment the lever was pulled it immediately contracted and a bunch of squeaking and whistling filled the shop. Flowers funneled and filed perfectly through the tube as the motors on a flat belt unraveled parchment paper, dicing and folding as they went through the machine making a beautiful completed bouquet.

"It works!" exclaimed both Lily and Maurice jovially as bouquets spat out into a large bucket at the receiving end.

"So it does," agreed Mary, half-knowing half-expecting the experiment to go wrong. Just as Mary expected an odd screeching roared from within the machine and black smoke emitted from the center. A loud bang suddenly followed after the screeching and dark smoke instantly filled the entire shop. As the machine whined to a grinding halt the family burst forth into a series of coughs. "Lily, my dear, I think now would be a good time for you to visit the library. Your grandfather and I have some cleaning up to do around here," suggested Mary to the little girl.

Between coughs, Maurice cried out optimistically, "Not to worry. I think I know what happened. Easy fix!"

"Ok," said Lily as her grandmother escorted her safely out of the flower shop. Black smoke billowed out of the shop as Lily gathered her bike and rode it away from the shop. As she distanced herself from the flower shop she realized how coincidental it was that her grandmother somehow knew of her previous intentions to head to the library. Was it fate? Lily couldn't say for certain. She found it suspicious all the way to the library. Lily was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn't even bother to say hello to the librarian at the circulation desk as she presented her book to renew.

"This book again, but you've read it twice!" remarked the librarian as she took note of Lily's checkout history.

"I know, but it's my favorite," justified Lily as she took her book back. She walked back out of the library and stared down at the book's cover. Was it a coincidence that her grandmother steered her back to the library? Was it also a coincidence that she had magic? As she thought about the book, she became inspired as to what she wanted to do with her magic. As ambitious as it was, she was going to try. Like the children from the book she was going to travel to another world like she had wanted to a few weeks ago, but not just to another world, another universe. She was going to retrieve her older brother.

Lily didn't know of any wardrobes to travel through to, but she did know of a particular realm-traveling device. With it, she could use her unique powers to alter its magical purpose and accomplish the deed. She just needed to pry it away from her nephew's intense grip first.

* * *

 **Sorry for another belated chapter. Holidays and working through holidays always make posting difficult for me. Thank you Grace5231973, Actress10, and ladybugsmomma for your reviews from last chapter! Living in Storybrooke hasn't been easy for Lily but things from here on out will take some interesting turns for her. As for the Rumbelle deception and tension, have faith in the couple. In the end, they do truly love each other and they will grow stronger as a result of it. At least that's what I hope to portray in my story. See you on Sunday for the next posting! Until next chapter… cheers!**


	9. Mother's Advice

Gold left the residence before Belle that morning and when he left she pondered over the puzzling quagmire her daughter had presented. _Was magic in Storybrooke truly gone?_ If magic was truly gone from Storybrooke then why did she have this feeling that it really wasn't? Before they left to New York Belle asked her mother whether the Impossible Possible spell had actually worked which Mary assured that it did. Belle didn't know much about her deity magic so it left her with a lot of doubt as to whether or not it truly worked as she had intended.

As she watched her husband leave in the Cadillac from the bay window she wondered. If magic didn't exist, then why was he so anxious to be back at the shop? What was there that kept him so preoccupied all the time? Was he just simply in denial of his own retirement? Or was he simply trying to spend as much time with Henry as he had previously mentioned? Belle wanted to believe that this was the case. Belle wanted to trust him, but knowing her husband, being back in this town with his history with magic didn't put her mind at ease. She needed to know more. She needed to know for sure.

Belle had some free time before meeting her family back at the house for lunch and decided to drive into town to visit her parents. She felt guilty for not having visited them when she arrived back to Storybrooke, but with all the items from the move and getting Lily settled she never really found time to do so or actually, she didn't really have any reason to visit them until now.

As she pulled down the street to her father's flower shop she noticed a trail of smoke extend toward the sky. _A fire!_ She sped through town following the smoke and saw her worse suspicions confirmed. She screeched to a sudden halt as she parked on the opposite side of the street to the shop. Belle hopped out of her vehicle and ran over to the building as quickly as she could to investigate what had happened, but as soon as she saw her mother casually open the door to let the remaining smoke escape she gasped, " _Mother!_ Is everything alright?"

"Belle! Yes, everything is quite alright. Your father decided to test his contraption and the blasted thing combusted," Mary replied as she placed an electric fan by the door to expedite the movement of smoke outside the shop.

" _Contraption?_ " mouthed Belle to herself as she got closer to her mother and entered the shop. Belle was too busy looking around at the damages when Mary surprised her with a hug. Unaccustomed to her mother's embrace, Belle gasped, "Oh!"

"It's so good to see you Bluebell—Oh! My apologies, Belle. I forget how you don't like to be called that."

When Belle parted from her mother's embrace she couldn't help but notice her mother's appearance. Despite being centuries old, Mary had enchanted herself to look like Belle's mother. She had grayed her hair intentionally which was pinned perfectly into a strict bun and wore a modern but equally matching gray dress suit. The one striking feature that remained from her enchantment was her still youthful rosy complexion. As beautiful as Mary Poppins was, it was a reminder to Belle that it took magic for her to be this way and that she used to magical. "Lily was just in here moments ago," Mary continued. "She parted for the library when things became…" Mary turned looking back inside indicating the smoke and then back at Belle, "…less than pleasant."

"She was here when this happened?" Belle asked worriedly.

"Yes, but she's fine now. She's at the library right now if you wish to inspect her condition for yourself."

"No, that's-that's alright. I believe you," acknowledged Belle with a half-smile which pleased Mary to hear. Belle entered the shop first and looked around the main room. From where she stood she couldn't see her father so she turned to her mother who had followed her in and asked, "Where's Papa?"

Mary tucked a few rebellious hairs gracefully behind her ear as she nodded deeper into the shop, "Oh, he's inside fussing over his invention."

Curious, Belle proceeded inside. By the time she had reached the back to see her father, the assistance of the electric fan had already cleared half of the smoke which made the trek through the shop much less hazardous. "Papa?" Belle called out to her father.

"Belle! Is that you?" called out her father from around the corner just out of sight.

"What's this I hear, that you're an inventor now?" Belle asked as she waited patiently for him to come to her. Maurice popped out from around the corner with a huge smile on his face. "A world famous inventor as soon as I'm done with this!" he corrected as he patted his machine. The moment he did so an arm fell depressingly to the ground.

" _World famous_ ," Belle repeated back coyly with a smile. Maurice chuckled nervously as he came forward to her. With arms open he gave her a warm, smoky embrace and said happily, "It's so good to see you my darling."

"You too," Belle agreed as she pulled back from the hug to gawk at the machine behind him. "So, when did you decide to become a _world famous inventor_ and do this?"

"Ever since your family left for New York last year, the border had opened up to all of the citizens in Storybrooke. Since then people have been crossing the border. I mean, we have always known about the world beyond the town line, through the curse that is, but never actually explored it. Your mother and I thought about you a lot since you departed for New York that day and one day I found myself wandering into your library. I suppose I was missing you and tried the internet for the first time to find you. Fascinating place, the internet. Well, one click led to another and I came across this site: An Emporium for Inventors. It turns out there's a county fair just across the border in the neighboring town where the Emporium is being hosted. The idea gave my hands something to do while we waited for your return home. But now," he said while turning to glance at his machine. The joy and hope that was on his face quickly disappeared as he said with frustration, "I don't think I'll ever get this boneheaded contraption to work."

"Yes you will," Belle encouraged, "and I'm sure you'll win first prize at the fair." Seeing that her father's face still panged with doubt, she added hoping to inspire motivation, " _And become a world famous inventor_..."

" _You really believe so?_ "

"I always have," answered Belle warmly. After hearing Belle's encouragement, Maurice's fallen face suddenly turned upward as he excitedly exclaimed, "Well what are we waiting for! I'll have this thing fixed in no time!"

As Maurice busied himself with the machine Belle turned to talk to her mother only to discover that she had been hovering by the register the entire time eavesdropping on their conversation. Belle was startled for a brief moment, but then remembered that it was in her mother's nature to be graceful if not light on her feet. "So…," began Belle as she awkwardly stood by her mother to start a conversation.

"So, indeed," she agreed calmly. "Is there a reason you're suddenly gracing us with your presence today?"

Belle cringed as she recognized the tone of passive aggressiveness in her mother's voice. She decided to ignore the implication for the time being and got straight to the point, "I need to know more about magic."

" _Magic?_ " Mary asked with surprise. "Why don't you ask your husband?"

"No, I mean your magic," Belle mentioned more specifically.

" _My magic?_ "

"Deity magic," Belle clarified further.

"What exactly do you want to know?"

"I, uh, I have my doubts over whether or not the spell actually worked."

"It did. What else?" Mary confirmed briefly.

"Well, is there any way of detecting residual magic? Is it possible that I have magic and not know it?"

Mary took a few moments to allow Belle's questions to sink in before responding. After quick deliberation she replied, "Magic, no matter what kind is an illusion. Despite what you might have intended you used magic to disguise magic."

"So… I tricked myself and there _is_ magic in Storybrooke," Belle concluded with uncertainty. Worry was starting to overcome her senses.

"Magic is born from belief and our deity magic comes from the adoration of others believing in you."

"So, do _you_ still have magic?" Belle wondered.

"Heavens, no! You made sure of that. Not that I want it back," Mary said as she backed away from the register. From below the counter she picked up a feather duster and began dusting the counter. "You are _my_ truest believer. And as my Truest Believer, you chose to not believe in magic. That's how it was all possible." Mary walked over to the wall of flowers inspecting each bunch to make sure soot hadn't fallen on their petals and carried on blithely with her task. Mary might have believed that the spell worked and thought that she answered Belle's questions adequately, but the news wasn't what Belle wanted to hear and her realization about magic rendered her speechless. Magic was still possible in Storybrooke.

"If I were you," Mary continued as she took the soft duster and began gently dusting the shelves and around the flowers. "I would keep a close eye on your daughter."

" _Lily?"_ asked Belle, snapping back to reality from her confusion. "What does Lily have to deal with this?" Belle asked defensively.

"Children of magic often times find themselves getting into trouble while exploring their abilities. Without the proper guidance, knowledge and experience the consequences to their actions could be astronomical. If they are left to their own devices, there's no telling what kind of mischief Lily could find herself in," warned Mary.

Belle couldn't believe what she was hearing and said in denial, "If you are implying that Lily has magic, then that's… then that's…"

"Not impossible."

"If all the Impossible Possible spell did was create the illusion that magic never existed, then at any point in time… Lily or even Rumple could wake up and discover they have magic," thought Belle out loud.

"So long as they believe in it, then yes," agreed Mary. "If it's any consolation, the reason why your husband doesn't have magic is… well, ironically, because he believes whole-heartedly in you and your magic." The news wasn't consoling at all to Belle and it only brought her dread. Mary saw the disheartened disbelief on Belle's face and it broke Mary's heart. Mary hated seeing her daughter this way, so she quickly changed the tone and suggested light-heartedly, "There's a lovely couple I want you meet. I believe their situation bears quite a resemblance to yours and would be equally sympathetic in giving the answers you seek. If anything, I think you'll find the meeting… _enlightening_."

" _Enlightening?!_ " exclaimed Belle offensively, thinking that her mother was simply pawning off her difficult situation to someone else. "Who could possibly understand what Rumple and I are going through?"

"Hercules and Elsa. They own the ice cream shop down the street."

* * *

 **A short little chapter. I know. If I have the time I'll try to post on Wednesday. Not sure if I can, but we shall see. Thank you to Actress10, Grace5231973, and Montreat11 for your questions, comments and reviews! They are all very much appreciated. Thank you so very much! See you next chapter!**


	10. The Prank

The bell to the Pawn Shop jingled merrily as Gold entered the shop. Henry looked up and without surprise replied, "Grandpa. It's a Saturday morning. Don't you have anything else better to do?"

"I should be asking you the same thing," retorted Gold in kind. "I was wondering if you gave any more thought to my proposal?"

"I'm still thinking about it."

Realizing that he wasn't making any headway with his grandson, he decided to negotiate. "What if I were to change some aspect of the deal? Say, instead of a free pass for multiple days, how about just one day in the Enchanted Forest with you as my guide? The item I need isn't going to take me long to find in my castle."

"What if someone had taken over your castle in your absence? What if things aren't where you left them when we arrive there? You know, things could have changed since the last time you were there. There are just way too many 'what if' scenarios," said Henry as he began scratching his hand.

Even Gold had to admit that anything could have happened during his seven-year absence. The last time he was at his castle was right before they moved to New York and even then he had to vacate any vagrants who had wandered bravely into his castle. But with the amount of enchantments he had used to fortify the castle he was confident in the security over all the precious items he had left behind. He knew that, but Henry didn't. Assuming the latter, he continued, "That's why I suggested one day as opposed to many." Seeing that Henry was still unimpressed by the alternate deal, Gold's frustration over his simple proposition came out as irritation as he pointed out, "C'mon! I know you want magic back in Storybrooke as much as I do."

The itching intensified and Henry began scratching his neck. "Yeah, but for what purpose? We bring magic back and what then, you get to have your dark magic again?"

"How do you even know that my magic is dark? My years outside of Storybrooke could have changed me."

"Sure."

"Since I've moved back to Storybrooke, I've done nothing sinister with my magic. What you've got to understand about magic, Henry, is that light and dark magic are all a matter of perspective. One's disadvantage can be one's advantage. A man steals a loaf of bread and automatically, you would assume darkness because of the method he used. But if the man stole bread to feed his starving family, well then that's a whole different perspective, wouldn't you think? Dark magic can be used for light and Light magic can be used for darkness. You can't have one without the other. Are you alright?" asked Gold as he came over to inspect the rash that was occurring on his neck.

"I don't know. I just suddenly felt itchy all over," moaned Henry, but as soon as Gold came close to Henry the rash mysteriously disappeared. Henry ceased his rampant scratching and relaxed his once irritated body. The moment the itching stopped Henry began checking all over for the source of the rash.

"That's odd," remarked Gold as he inspected his grandson as well.

"Fine," agreed Henry as he ignored the strange infirmity without skipping a beat of their conversation. "We'll go, but only to one place for one day."

"Excellent!" Gold smiled with glee. Realizing that Henry's position had suddenly changed "If you don't mind my asking, what changed your mind?"

"I have a date with Paige tonight," stated Henry. In truth, Henry just wanted a reason to have his grandfather out of his hair, but he was certainly looking forward to his date with Paige that evening so it did put him in a more receptive mood.

"Paige…" Gold ran through his mind of the millions of names he had acquired over the centuries until finally he made the connection, remembering his daughter's tale from her vision journal, "Jefferson's daughter."

"That's right."

Gold nodded his head in approval and replied, "Well, I won't bother you any further. I'll leave you to prepare for your date tonight."

"Oh, and uh, just so you know... Thanks to your suggestion, the Archery contest will take place tomorrow. Mom wanted me to help her spread the word. So if we are to go, we'll leave then."

Gold nodded in acknowledgment, suppressing an impish grin as he backed away from his grandson. As soon as he exited the shop through the front door, Henry smiled to himself over the mere thought of seeing Paige again. He attempted to walk to the back of the shop when suddenly he tripped and fell to the floor behind the counter. The unexpected fall and impact to the ground made his elbows and knees throb with pain. He scanned the floor around him to see the source for his impediment only to discover that his shoelaces had somehow tied themselves together on their own.

…

Lily stood outside the side door's entrance staring into the glass panels as she watched the interaction take place between Henry and her father. During their discussion inside she made small clawing motions with her hands and magicked an invisible irritant onto Henry. The moment her father got closer to Henry she ceased her motions and saw through the glass display case in front of Henry his fancy dress shoes and began making the laces magically move to her will. She twirled her fingers in the air swirling this way and that until finally the deed was done and she made a complete knot out of Henry's shoelaces.

She giggled to herself proudly as her father finally left through the front door of the pawn shop. When Henry fell to the ground behind the display case she couldn't contain herself and snickered loudly.

"You could just walk in you know?" said a voice from over by the hardware store next door to the pawn shop. The voice startled Lily and she jumped in place, gasping at the sudden realization that she was being observed. When she turned she saw Roland leaning up against the neighboring building watching her with curious amusement. Or was it, distaste? She couldn't tell.

"I-I… How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," her hero replied. It didn't exactly answer her question, but he did answer. He stood up and walked closer to Lily as he continued, "I was heading to the library when I noticed you loitering by my brother's shop."

" _Your brother?_ Henry's your brother?" she asked, clearly confused.

"Step-brother, actually. If you want to get technical. My father married his adopted mother, Regina."

"Oh," she said as she tried to soak in this newfound connection she had with her friend. Suddenly a thought occurred to her as she asked unsure, "Does-does that makes us relatives?"

"We're not blood-related if that's what you're wondering. No. Only Henry and I are related by marriage."

For a moment Lily got excited over the prospect of her friend being another unexpected blood-relative. Like her father, family was considered precious to Lily because she always felt alone. For the majority of her life the only family she had ever known were her two parents. If it wasn't for the Author kidnapping her from New York a year ago, she would have never known of the family that existed in Storybrooke all along. Lily didn't like that her mother and father withheld knowledge from her and it made her slightly angry if not bitter towards her parents as a result of it. However, whatever resentment she gained from not knowing, it was quickly negated by all the new family members she had met so far, blood-related or not. Since each one was just as magical and wonderful as the next, her joy and excitement only compounded. For Lily, family was one of the many reasons she wanted to move to Storybrooke in the first place.

"Oh," she said disappointedly.

"I swear to you. He doesn't bite."

" _Who doesn't bite?_ " she asked, shaking her head of the train of thought her mind had wandered to in that brief moment.

"Henry. I can understand your confusion, though." Roland shuddered suddenly and continued, "I wouldn't dwell on figuring out who's related to who in this town. You might discover the horrific truth."

"And what truth is that?"

"That we're all somehow related to each other. Henry, more so, than others. Oh, and by the way," Roland said as he backed away towards the direction of the library. "If you're going to loiter around a building, you might not want to look so suspicious."

"Oh!" exclaimed Lily as she looked around at her surroundings. She was completely visible to anyone who had happened to see what she was doing, "I suppose I _am_ exposed to the public."

"Mmhmm," agreed Roland as he turned away from her with the look of unapproved indifference to what he just saw. Lily took notice of his reaction toward her and it made her feel guilty about the harm she had caused Henry. She glanced back inside the shop and noticed how he continued on with his business despite the strange ailments that she had bestowed upon him. The guilt lingered as she admitted to herself that regardless of her feelings towards him, Henry was still family.

She questioned how bad she really wanted Cogsworth and whether or not it was truly worth finding her older brother Neal. In her mind it all came down to one fact, the only person who understood her the most was her brother. Although she had never met her brother, hearing the stories of who he was as a person and how loved he was by everyone made her feel that having him by her side was the right choice.

She continued observing Henry's movements from outside the shop and all she could think about was how he had kidnapped her in New York a year ago. She did eventually find out later that he was possessed by the Author and that it was the Sorcerer's hat that controlled his every move. He wouldn't have bothered anyone in her family otherwise and she knew it. Despite her recent understanding, she still couldn't shake off the trauma. Whenever she saw him she saw her kidnapper, not her brother's son.

 _Henry is Neal's son,_ she reminded herself _. Neal. Hero. Henry. Hero._

What would he have thought of her teasing Henry like this? Probably nothing good. She was already making poor decisions without him. What if Neal was there beside her being her voice of reason, moral compass, protector and hero? How would her life be different if he was more involved? Certainly less guilty, she supposed. All these questions that she had asked herself only gave her more incentive to continue with her mission, but there was only one problem. She needed to get Cogsworth away from Henry without him knowing.

 _"_ _A date with Paige tonight_ ," Lily thought out loud to herself. " _That could be my one opportunity to get it away from him while he's distracted."_ She had her work cut out for herself.

Just then the clock tower above the library chimed. Lily glanced down at her digital watch which read: _12:00_.

"I'm late!" she exclaimed as she ran over to her bike she had left leaning against the back part of the shop and pedaled away. She was going to be late for lunch at home.

* * *

 **Another short chapter. Struggling writing these days. I'm about 7 chapters ahead of you guys right now and a lot is going on. You'll see what I mean... maybe. Thank you to Actress10, Grace5231973 and ladybugsmomma for messaging, reading and reviewing the last chapter. As you can tell, Lily is progressively heading down a mischievous path. Such a curious little thing. I guess, like her father, it's why I like writing her so much. Hopefully you enjoy reading her character too. Until then, see you next chapter!**


	11. A Successful Evening

**_…_** ** _same day, later that evening…_**

The sun made its last appearance of the day over Storybrooke and a hooded figure made his way to downtown's main street through the shadows of back alleys and side streets. The bow and holster snug tight against his body as he carefully dodged particular objects along the way that would alert to his whereabouts. The hooded figure rounded the corner of a building and spotted a couple nearing his position. He ducked quickly behind a dumpster and waited patiently. He held the spray paint can close to his side to avoid making extraneous sounds as he crouched down beside the unit. When the two individuals passed he got up and slowly approached the end of the alley, checking both directions for more people. Seeing that the coast was clear he scurried to the Nolan residence and swiftly withdrew his purple paint can.

The Vigilante spray-painted an enormous 'M' on the outside door to the apartment unit and encircled it, finalizing the symbol with a line crossed through it. Seeing that the deed was done he placed the can back in the sack that was attached to his hip and moved across the street. He scaled the outside emergency stairs until he reached the rooftop. From the roof he had a clear shot of the giant purple 'M' and took off the bow that was draped around his body. He withdrew an arrow from his holster and placed it on its arrow shelf. After a slow relaxed exhale he pulled back on the bow string, matching it's pullback with a strong inhale. He took aim, matching the 'M' in his crosshairs.

There was a slight wind coming in from the east. He took that into account as he focused on the target before him. He took his time. As soon as he felt confident in his shot he released, sending the arrow darting through the air. Seeing that it landed perfectly and deeply into the door, the Vigilante exhaled slowly. Pleased with the accuracy of the shot, he darted off down the stairs and disappeared into the night.

…

Henry looked up from the menu nervously as he waited for Paige inside Tony's restaurant. It took him weeks to get permission from Jefferson for even the opportunity to speak with her. Jefferson was always a hard person to impress so it took Henry time to prove his worth. After much convincing he won another opportunity to speak with Paige and he was able to set up a date. Or, really, a business dinner. It was the only angle Henry had that worked.

He looked around the table making sure all the silverware was perfectly lined up and organized when he heard a voice from above him, "This isn't a date. Strictly business."

Paige wore a gray business dress with a white sleeve-less floral blouse that seemed to tuff out a little bit around the neck. She placed her briefcase down beside her as Henry quickly stood up to come around and pull out her chair for her. "Of course not," he agreed. "Strictly business."

"Good," she replied as she sat down in the chair he offered. Without so much as looking down at the menu she immediately asked, "My father says that you have work for me that I might be interested in, but he wouldn't go into further detail. Care to explain further?"

"Yes, uh…," Henry said, fumbling with his words as he pulled back his chair. He went to sit down but quickly found that his bottom never made it into the seat and he fell embarrassingly to the floor. The couples around them gasped and the attention in the restaurant was immediately drawn to them.

"Oh!" cried out Paige as she saw what happened. Out of concern she stood back up to peer over the table and asked, "Are you alright, Henry?"

"I'm fine!" exclaimed Henry as he gingerly got up from the floor, grabbing the edge of the table for support. "Just a little nervous I guess."

"Tough day at the office, I gather," acknowledged Paige as Henry moved his chair closer to their table. For some reason the chair was much further back than he had remembered.

"You can say that," he replied as he looked around the restaurant. With a slight nod he embarrassingly acknowledged the gawkers around him that he was fine. He fluffed out his overcoat to straighten it out, temporarily exposing the gold chain connecting to Cogsworth that rested inside his vest's small pocket. The moment he resumed his seat he exhaled trying to forget the embarrassing moment and said, "Now, back to business."

"Yes, uh, you had mentioned something about a business partnership. I have yet to connect how my services compliment yours," Paige said as she took a sip of the water that was on the table.

"Well, as you know there's a great trafficking of people from other worlds into our own. I was hoping to get your assistance or feedback into upstarting an assimilation program to get those individuals acquainted to the rules and decorum of this world…" For the first time all evening, Paige smiled at the idea. From her perspective, she was glad to see that he was true to his word. This evening was strictly business. However, it was a reminder as to why they had broken up to begin with; his job had come before their relationship. Despite her mind deviating slightly, she was still able to listen Henry as he continued, "…Individuals arriving to Storybrooke for the first time will not know the technologies and vernacular used here and I was thinking that with this new program it will help bring those people up to speed for those who weren't affected by the curse."

"I think that's a marvelous idea," remarked Paige coolly as she tried to be professional in her demeanor. Suddenly, a cool breeze came from out of nowhere within the restaurant and it caused Paige to shiver.

"You're cold," observed Henry. Before Paige could object, in one fluid motion Henry got up from his chair removing his suit jacket and hung it delicately over Paige's exposed arms.

"Oh," gasped Paige in surprise, "Um, thank you."

"Always," said Henry smoothly with a congenial smile as he carefully sat back down in his chair.

Paige paused for a moment as she analyzed what was going on. The gesture, however kind it was, was a signal for something else. Henry still cared for her. He still loved her and she knew it. Truth was, she still loved him, but she just couldn't bear another disappointment by him. She looked down at the warm coat around her and then coyly up at Henry as she pointed out, "This wasn't a business meeting after all. You can't fool me with your charm."

Henry bit on his lip trying not to look so guilty but was failing miserably. In his defense he replied cheekily, "Well, being charming _does_ run in my family."

"I suppose it does," said Paige in response to his cheesy reply, giving him back a small smile of her own.

Just when things were beginning to settle down in the restaurant, the waiter that was walking past their table mysteriously tripped and the items that were on the tray in his hands flew through the air. A giant glob of hot marinara sauce accompanied with a plate of pasta landed perfectly onto Henry's white shirt seeping down into his vest, scorching his skin below. Out of pain, Henry leapt into the air to shake off the hot dinner. The sudden movement did him no favors as Henry quickly removed his vest to wipe away the scolding meal that was now saturating through to his abdomen.

"Henry!" shouted Paige as she got up to help. As soon as the server saw what had happened he quickly got up and out of guilt tried to assist Henry, damping, wiping and apologizing along the way. "I'm so sorry sir! My apologies! My apologies!"

Henry quickly unbuttoned the top portion of his business shirt and tossed his vest onto his chair. When he turned back around, he found himself face to face with Paige who was dabbing away residual pasta sauce with a clean napkin from off of their table. "Are you ok?" she asked, focused and extremely concerned for his welfare.

"I am now," said Henry calmly while looking down at Paige. The response caught her by surprise and gave her pause. When Paige looked up she saw the biggest grin on his face. "If I had known that pouring searing hot pasta sauce on myself would bring you closer to me, I would have done it a long time ago."

Realizing how intimately close she was to Henry, Paige stepped back from Henry and immediately began to blush. "I'm-I'm sorry," she apologized timidly as Tony, the restaurant owner, rushed over to Henry to apologize as well.

"Mr. Mills!" Tony exclaimed out of anxiety.

"Tony, everything's fine. But I-uh, I think we'll just leave now," said Henry as he gathered his belongings he tossed onto the chair over the crook of his arm.

"Please! I am so incredibly sorry that this wasn't a more pleasurable experience. Come back to us again. On me! Please! My restaurant can't have a bad review," begged Tony.

"I still favor your restaurant, Tony," assured Henry as he dusted himself. "Tonight was surprisingly," he began to say as he turned to look at Paige who had already gathered her belongings. He took Paige by the hand and while looking at her said, "a great evening." Tony appeared confused by Henry's words and pleased disposition and watched as both Henry and Paige made their way towards the exit. Before they left through the front door with Paige he turned to Tony and said, "But I'll be sure to take you up on your offer for when I come back. Bene notte, Tony."

"Oh yes! Yes! Sir! Very good, sir. You won't be disappointed. I'll let you dine in the private-"

But Henry and Paige never heard the rest of what Tony was saying. They left the restaurant fingers intertwined with each other's, smiling over a love rekindled. It was a successful evening; one which Henry was sure he was going to visit with Paige again.

They both couldn't stop casting each other flirtatious glances as Henry escorted Paige to her car in the parking lot. When they both finally arrived to her vehicle, she confessed, "I've missed you."

"I've missed you more," said Henry as he stood in front of her with both of her hands still in his. For a moment he couldn't look at her, embarrassed by the reasons they weren't still together. When he looked back up into her eyes he admitted, "I'm a fool." He shook his head out of disappointment in himself. "I should have never let you go."

"You're not a fool."

"But I am! I never made you… us, a priority. I should have-" before Henry could finish his sentence, Paige placed her forefinger gently onto his lips which quieted him and replied, "I would love to have another… _business_ meeting to discuss your priorities about us."

Beneath the parking lot's glowing lamp light, Henry slowly lowered his face to hers and they kissed. The kiss was equally slow as it was sweet. When their lips parted, they looked admirably into each other's eyes which were twinkling like the night sky. Paige gave an abrupt cough breaking the moment between the two and replied, "So I guess I'll be seeing you again. You know, to talk business and such."

"Of course. I look forward to our next encounter," Henry stated with a warm smile. He lifted her hand to his mouth and without looking down he kissed the top of it like a noble prince properly parting a gentlewoman. She beamed and after a few moments of more flirting she finally got into her car and started it. Henry closed her car door for her and watched as she pulled away from the restaurant. He stood there completely enamored, staring after her car's silhouette until it blurred into the darkness.

When Henry decided that it was time for him to go home too, he began checking the pockets of his vest for Cogsworth. He shook out the clothing that was folded over his arm and was alarmed to see nothing fall out. When he couldn't find the pocket-watch, his face morphed to concern and he turned immediately back around into the restaurant. As soon as Henry re-entered the restaurant, Lily magically popped into existence and appeared by the front entrance doors where Henry just entered. She, too, had a successful evening but for different reasons. She looked down and in her hands sparkled Henry's pocket-watch.

"You have magic!" said a voice from out of nowhere. Lily looked around in the darkness for the source of the voice and found Neal stepping out into the lamplight from within the shadows. "I knew it."

"You've been following me! What are you doing following me around at night?" accused Lily.

"You think you're the only one that knows what goes on in town? We're supposed to be working on a project together, remember? And what do I find when I go to search for you? That you have magic! And that you were using it on Henry to get to his pocket-watch."

Lily looked guiltily down at the watch in her hands and shamefully shoved it into her back pocket as she pleaded, "Please! It's personal. You mustn't tell anybody! It's important. I've got to find somebody."

"I'll tell you what, if you use Cogsworth and we bring back Pocahontas for our project, then I won't say that you've been using magic on Henry," proposed Neal as he authoritatively crossed his arms over his chest like his father.

"Can't we just go to the library and research like normal people?" countered Lily.

"And give up on the opportunity for an adventure? No way. Besides, you stopped being normal when you and your family decided to move back to Storybrooke."

Lily rolled her eyes, and seeing that she was given little choice over the matter she complied, "Fine. We go, we find her and then we get out." Lily sighed with frustration as she added remorsefully to herself, "Our parents are going to kill us." She pulled out the pocket-watch from her back pocket and turned the hand a quarter turn to the left. With the available hand, she offered it to Neal and asked, "Do we have a deal?"

Neal looked down and smiled as he shook her hand, "Deal."

She glanced down at their hands touching and recalled the first moment their hands met. In that memory, just like this moment, she felt her hand surge. As she tried to sear this new kind memory into her brain, she truly felt that her hand was always supposed to be in his. Before the moment got too awkward, she took a breath and said, "Cogsworth, take us to Pocohantas." With her thumb, Lily tapped on the pocket-watch three times and in a sudden orange _poof!_ the two young individuals disappeared from Storybrooke.

* * *

 **Thank you Grace5231973, Actress10, and ladybugsmomma for reading and reviewing the previous chapter! As you might have noticed before in previous chapters, there's a little chemistry happening between Neal and Lily. Now I know what you're thinking, Skitzo aren't they related? No, they aren't related by blood (though I must admit that Henry being both their nephew is just a little too close for comfort) so I think we're still ok on that front (Oh, OUAT and your ridiculously integrated family tree). Also, I understand that they're both 8 and 9 but love can still exist on an elementary school level. Nothing sensual, obviously, just the beginning to something... innocent. We shall see where this goes. See you next chapter!**


	12. Missing

When Lily and Neal reappeared, they found themselves in an unfamiliar forest. Although it was night time when they left Tony's Restaurant, the mist and positioning of the sun in the sky indicated that it was sometime in the morning where they were. The moment they arrived in the new land both Lily's and Neal's hands instantly broke apart. Neal began looking around wildly, trying to familiarize himself with their new surroundings while Lily dusted herself off, placing the timepiece inside her front pants' pocket.

"I was wondering… oh," Lily began to say, but she could see that Neal was already preoccupied. He had already walked up to a nearby tree and was inspecting its' bark intensely to ascertain its genus. "… _these trees look similar to the ones in Storybrooke_ …" ignored Neal, remarking softly to himself.

" _Trees?_ So what, you're a tree expert now?" mocked Lily.

"I've hiked through Storybrooke's forest all my life. I know those trees like the back of my hand and the bark on these trees have a similar shimmer to the ones in Storybrooke. Come see for yourself," said Neal as he pointed to the bark. From what Lily could see the tree did have what appeared to be a light scattering of glitter within its bark. "I think there might be magic here," speculated Neal as he continued to feel the tree more thoroughly with his fingertips. "Anyways," he continued, dismissing the observation as he backed away from the tree to face Lily. He dusted his hands off and addressed her, "You were saying?"

Caught off-guard by his knowledge with the surrounding foliage she became slightly flummoxed. It was something she didn't know about him and it surprised her. "I never would have pegged you as the type of guy who enjoys plants. You see, I knew there was much more to you than just being the popular kid in school," she stated amusedly as she pointed to him while squinting her eyes in scrutiny.

"I'm an interesting guy. What can I say?" said Neal smugly as he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

His smug reply irritated her. It was then that she realized that this was the mask he used to protect himself in front of their schoolmates, but his false pretense wasn't going to work on her. "But that… that right there… arrogance. It doesn't suit you," pointed out Lily as she turned away from him. Neal's prideful smirk slowly turned into a disappointing frown. Before he could think of a quick retort she was already walking away.

"Hey!" he called out to her indignantly as he jogged to catch up to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her and asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"

The touch of his hand on her shoulder was enough to make her stop in her tracks and confront him. "You do know I have magic, right? Which makes you either very brave, or very stupid for coming up to me at the restaurant like you did," she threatened as she shrugged his hand from off her shoulder. Her threat was merely an avoidance of his question, fearing that her first response would somehow expose a truth. Despite her successful diversion, it didn't hide the funny, gooey feeling she had in her stomach whenever he was around her.

"You wouldn't hurt me. You know, you're not as scary as you want others to believe. In fact, I think you may even _like_ me," suggested Neal haughtily as he crossed his arms.

"Ugh! Get over yourself," she said disgustedly as she rolled her eyes at him. "If self-proposed flattery is how you make friends, then I'm not so sure I want to be your friend anymore."

"That's not how I make friends," he stated taking insult to her comment. "I make friends by being… I don't know, _friendly?_ You should try it for a change."

" _I am friendly!_ " exclaimed Lily defiantly. Both of their voices had quickly escalated. Before they knew it, the playful banter quickly turned into a personal heated argument. "You claim to know me, but what you and _your_ friends fail to realize is that whatever my parents did, I didn't do them!" The forest went quiet for a moment as they both realized what the other was feeling. They were both so exhausted from portal jumping that it was of no wonder why they were both so irritable towards each other. After a few moments of the two catching their breaths, Lily pressed forward, "C'mon. Let's find Pocahontas and get this over with. Cogsworth should have taken us right to-"

Before Lily was able to finish her sentence a twig snapped close by and the children turned at the sound. While hiding from behind the tree, a woman with dark black hair and light-brown skin watched curiously. The moment she was spotted she spun on her heels and bolted. "Wait!" Neal called out to her as he proceeded to chase after her.

Lily took a step forward and was about to follow suit as well when suddenly she realized, "What am I doing? I've got magic. This is ridiculous." She extended her hand forward and gripped at the air. Just as Pocahontas leapt in the air to avoid a fallen log, Lily seized Pocahontas like a doll causing her legs and arms to snap quickly to her sides. Seeing that his pursuit had come to a sudden halt, Neal skidded to a stop and watched as Pocahontas hovered in the air in front of him.

"I'm so sorry for doing that, but we need your help," apologized Lily as she held her grip in the air and made her way forward. The Native American woman struggled to break free, but kept silent as she allowed the strange children to explain their odd predicament.

"My name is Neal and this is… this is…" Neal began looking to Lily with uncertainty. He wasn't sure what she was to him or how to address her. _Was she a friend? Foe? Partner? Associate?_

"Lily. My name is Lily. We're doing a research project… on you actually-"

"-And we would like to bring you to our world to help us understand you," finished Neal.

"Please…" said Pocahontas who had stopped struggling in her magical bindings as she hovered in the air before them. Both Neal and Lily were surprised to hear her speak English.

"You speak English?" inquired Lily out of curious amazement.

Despite her unfortunate position, Pocahontas's stoic face spoke volumes to her calm resilience and tempered collectiveness. "…please let me go. I need to return to my grandmother. She was about to give me answers in regards to my fate. Do what you want with me after, but please let me see her one last time."

"Your _fate?_ " questioned Neal.

"My grandmother has translated the Winds of Destiny for me and today is the day she will tell me of my fate."

Both Lily and Neal looked at each other to gauge what the other's impression was of this woman. While deciding on what they wanted to do next, Lily glanced at Pocahontas. Sensing that she was going to be compliant and that her request was simple, Lily carefully lowered the woman down to the ground and released her. The moment Pocahontas's feet touched the ground Pocahontas said, "Thank you, Demon Spirit. We will now go to see Grandmother Willow."

Lily's addressment caught her by surprise and found that her mouth was hanging slightly open over the shock. " _Demon Spirit?_ " questioned Lily in disbelief as Pocahontas passed by her, leading the way to her grandmother. Neal followed directly behind Pocahontas, snickering along the way as he passed by Lily as well. "I did say my name was Lily. _Didn't I?…_ " mumbled Lily as she followed after Neal.

The mini hike wasn't far. The small group waded through tall standing bushes and even more trees when suddenly Neal stopped and turned to Lily, "Wait. Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Running water."

Pocahontas led them out of the clearing and into a secluded area where trees overshadowed trees that covered and protected a small river bank which gently passed through it. A large old willow tree sat at the edge of the bank and as the wind delicately blew through its branches, Neal saw why Pocahontas chose this spot to speak with her grandmother. It was the perfect place for a peaceful discussion. However, as Neal looked around he noticed one thing odd about the area, they were the only humans there. "Uh, Pocahontas… where's your grandmother?"

"She is here," she claimed as she kneeled by the willow tree.

"What?" Neal said in confusion.

"Shhh!" hushed Lily as she pointed over at the direction of the willow tree. "She's speaking."

Neal lowered his voice to match Lily's whisper and said, "I don't hear anything."

Lily took Neal by the hand and whispered, "Grandmother Willow _is_ the willow tree."

Neal looked up and focused his vision on the tree. At first he couldn't hear anything, so he strained his ears to listen. He couldn't tell if it was the soft churning of water as it passed by them or the shadows playing tricks on his eyes, but suddenly he saw what they were seeing. The bulbous knots on the trunk of the tree took shape into that of a face. He almost couldn't believe his eyes. There were two sunken spots in the middle of the face that seemed to blink at him and a nose which gave way to a kind smile. Suddenly, with the combination of the branches moaning and the silky smooth water running beside them he could hear the tree's voice, " _Hello Neal. Good to see you."_

The greeting took Neal back and he released his hold of Lily out of shock. He fumbled with his response as he replied nervously, "Uh-uh… hello?"

" _Have no fear of me, child,"_ said the tree, whose voice sounded just as old as the tree itself. _"_ _Come closer. I will do you no harm._ "

"That's good to know," he replied with a nervous chuckle. "So… you know me?"

" _I have many members of my family from your land and they all speak very highly of you._ "

Neal beamed at the compliment and then turned to Lily smacking her on the shoulder as he remarked, "You see? I told ya." Lily rolled her eyes over his comment. "That would certainly explain why the trees here look similar to the ones from our world," noted Lily out loud.

"Grandmother," interrupted Pocahontas addressing the tree with reverence. "What do the Winds say? What is my calling? What am I fated to do?"

" _You must follow these children into their strange new world. When you arrive, you must seek me out. These waters that run by me also run through their land as well. Follow the water. I will wait for you there._ " As soon as she was done with her piece, Grandmother Willow disappeared and the tree warped back into its original shape.

"Grandmother?" whimpered Pocahontas as she reached forward and caressed the tree's trunk. It was a strange encounter for the children, but for Pocahontas it was even more disheartening learning what she had to do. After a moment of silence, she realized that her grandmother foresaw these children and their arrival. If her grandmother trusted them, then so must she. Pocahontas turned to Lily and addressed her, "Demon Spirit…"

Neal chortled out loud to which Lily correctly emphatically, " _It's Lily_ , actually."

"Take me to your land," instructed Pocahontas most seriously. "I must fulfill my grandmother's request."

Surprised by how well their operation was running, all Lily could do was shrug her shoulders. From out of her front pants' pocket, Lily pulled out Cogsworth and requested to Pocahontas and Neal, "Both of you, hold on to my shoulders." Both Pocahontas and Neal complied and the moment she felt both of their hands touch her shoulders, Lily ordered the pocket-watch, "Cogsworth, takes us back to Storybrooke."

In a shower of orange smoke, the small group disappeared from Pocahontas's home-world and reappeared in theirs. When the smoke cleared, they found themselves at the edge of the forest looking down at Storybrooke. As both Pocahontas and Neal let go of Lily's shoulders, Neal exhaled with a sigh of relief, "Home sweet home."

Before either of the children knew it, Pocahontas wasted no time and darted off into the woods again, placing a fair amount of distance from them in little time. Neal turned to Lily and commanded, "Lily! Use your magic again and stop her! She's running away!"

"No way," Lily said defiantly. "The deal was we bring back Pocahontas for our project for your silence about my using magic on Henry."

"But-but she is _our_ project and our project is running away from us! We're supposed to be working on this _together_ ," claimed Neal anxiously.

"I told you I was fine working on the project by myself. You were the one who thought that following me and getting involved was a good idea. So if there's anybody to blame for this, it's you. You should have never threatened to share my secret before we left." Lily shook her head in disgust. Suddenly she remembered something he had mentioned to her right before leaving Storybrooke to New York. She even laughed at the irony of it as she said, "You know what? You were right."

" _Oh yeah?_ About what?" he said while peeved.

"About what you had said to me before. _Threatening to share people's secrets is not how you make friends_ ," quoted Lily. She meant every word to sting him as much as it had stung her. Ever since that day she had left with her family, she had replayed the phrase over and over in her mind.

Hurt by what she had said, Neal stormed away in an angry huff and ran after Pocahontas into the woods. Without even realizing it, the white in her knuckles began to appear from gripping the pocket-watch so intensely. She looked down at the device to make sure she didn't do any real damage and seeing that no harm was done she remembered what she had originally set out to do; to find her older brother in an alternate universe, but how? Ever since she had acquired Cogsworth she hadn't had a moment to formulate a plan for herself.

She wondered, _Perhaps I need more power?_

Even Lily had to admit that she hadn't exactly thought this through. She continued staring down at the watch in her hand. She figured she would have had more time to figure out a plan by the time she had the pocket-watch, but the moment she took Cogsworth Neal intervened and interrupted her plans.

The sun was just peeking out from behind the clouds and the sun's rays shining down into her eyes. Any moment her parents would realize her absence. Time was of the essence and she had to think fast. How? How was she going to attempt to mix her two powers? She thought deeply about the magic she possessed. She possessed both light and dark magic; fairy tale magic as well as deity magic. What spells did she know that were powerful enough to accomplish the deed? Had such a feat ever been done? It seemed impossible, but then again, how was anything that she was doing possible? _That was it!_ Lily thought excitedly to herself. The Impossible Possible spell her mother used. Lily had to try, or at least, believe that it would somehow work for her.

" _Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious_ ," chanted Lily as she imbued the pocket-watch with her hybrid magic. In a brilliant flash, Cogsworth glowed pulsating mysteriously every color that could be imagined on the color spectrum. Warmth radiated with every pulse and even vibrated like it was purring in Lily's hands. Lily brought new life to the object and she could tell by how the watch felt in her hands that the enchantment was working. Amazed and proud by how well Cogsworth was responding to her she asked confidently, "Cogsworth, take me to see Neal Cassidy in an alternate universe."

The light that surrounded her made her appear like a lighthouse beacon as she flashed out of the Storybrooke she knew and into the Storybrooke of another universe.

… …

 _"_ _Papa…" called the voice of one of Rumplestiltskin's children from downstairs of his Victorian Storybrooke home. From within his bed he turned to discover Belle's absence and proceeded to follow the voice. The moment he left their bedroom he suddenly found himself donning his old flamboyant attire from the Enchanted Forest. He glanced to down at his outfit only to temporarily dismiss the disjunctive style to see which child had called to him. Rumplestiltskin walked down the stairs cautiously, running his fingers along the banister as he looked around the individual rooms suspiciously. When he came to the kitchen he discovered not only Lily sitting at the dining room table eating breakfast, but his son in the kitchen cooking breakfast._

 _"_ _We're having breakfast. Want some?" offered Neal Cassidy casually._

 _"_ _It's Eggs-in-a-basket. It's your favorite," claimed Lily as she shoved a large forkful of egg into her mouth._

 _"_ _What are you doing here?" asked Rumplestiltskin bewilderedly._

 _Neal sat the pan back on the stove and approached his father. He stood stoically in front of his father and looked cumbersomely into his eyes, "We both need your help. You need to wake up now…"_

Gold woke up abruptly the following morning and immediately sat up in bed. He looked around the bedroom suspiciously as if expecting an intruder of some sort to threaten him or his family, but nobody was there. The dream wasn't real. He couldn't explain the panic he was feeling or why he was suddenly endowed with such anxiety, but he knew of one thing for certain… something was wrong, and Mr. Gold never doubted his intuition.

He glanced over at his wife beside him and saw her stir from his disturbance. "What's wrong?" she asked in a groggy voice.

Without answering her question, he got out of bed and threw on a robe. His heart was pounding in his chest. "Rumple?" Belle called out again, but he was already out the bedroom door.

He walked all the way down to the end of the hallway and opened Lily's bedroom door.

"LILY!" he hollered worriedly out into the void. His concerned voice resonated throughout the entire house causing Belle to leap out of bed and follow Gold into their daughter's bedroom.

"Lily? _Lily!_ " shrieked Belle as they both came to the same conclusion. Their daughter was not home. "Where could she be?"

"Look around for a note," instructed Gold as he shifted his daughter's untouched pillows and looked around her bedside. Now that Storybrooke was trafficking people from other realms, he couldn't put it past one of his enemies to resort to kidnapping. Unfortunately for the two, this wasn't the first time they woke up in the morning to discover their daughter missing. Belle looked around Lily's bookshelf and dresser and found herself coming up empty. Belle turned to her husband, thinking this situation too similar to what they experienced about a year ago, and said, "Could she have run away again, but back to New York instead? You know she's been having trouble transitioning here."

"No. She has friends here. She wouldn't have left town. Besides, her book-bag is gone," Gold pointed out as he stewed in frustration. Rarely did anyone enter or exit his presence without his acknowledgement and for Lily to do so discreetly was a feat all to itself. "…which confirms that she wasn't kidnapped. She must have left sometime after dinner when she went to bed."

Belle went to the window to see if she had somehow escaped through the window, but discovered it still tightly shut. "But how? She couldn't have escaped through her window."

"Then she must have somehow left through the front door."

"Impossible! We were down in the living room all evening reading by the fireplace. She couldn't have passed by without one of us noticing," Belle wondered out loud.

"Either case, she's not here. So the next question is, where has she gone to?" he wondered as he lifted Lily's dream journal and leafed through it. "That is the question I am eager to hear an answer for," he replied as he stared around the room in absolute befuddlement.

"We've got to call Emma. I'm sure she can help us find her."

"I highly doubt that. She and her entire family will be preoccupied with the Archery Contest today and finding the Vigilante. They won't be able to help us. Besides, I already know the standard procedure for missing persons. Government hands are unable to do anything official until after forty-eight hours. Bah!" He bellowed out with frustration as he tossed Lily's vision journal carelessly onto her bed.

"Well, we could ask Henry. He could help us find her," suggested Belle.

"You mean use Cogsworth. _Use magic_. Are you sure?" clarified Gold, making sure he understood her correctly and that she understood what she was asking.

"Yes," she replied desperately.

"That's convenient. So you get to decide when it's alright to use magic?" snapped Rumple bitterly.

Unsure as to where his resentment was stemming from, she fired back and said, "Look, our daughter is missing… again, and when it comes to this town there's no telling where she could have gone. As much as I don't want to believe it, I can't shake this feeling that magic somehow still exists here, and with her curious questioning about my magic yesterday…" Belle paused for a moment as she thought about her magic. Perhaps it was doubt in herself over her own abilities with magic that caused all of this. Perhaps her own doubt was the reason behind the Impossible Possible spell becoming undone. She shook her head over the notion. She didn't want to jump to conclusions. "… I don't know, but what I do know is that because we live in this town now we must exhaust every available option, and that includes magic."

Gold couldn't continue arguing with Belle. If they had learned anything from their last experience, it was to never doubt Lily's resourcefulness or dismiss Belle's intuition. In just a short period of time and at such a young age, Lily managed to run away without magic from New York City and find Storybrooke despite its magical cloak. With that given knowledge about Lily's unlimited capabilities, both Belle and Rumple knew time was of the essence. They needed to act swiftly.

With a quick concurring nod by Mr. Gold, the couple left Lily's bedroom and hastily got dressed. Along the way Belle could hear Gold mumble mockingly under his breath, "…this never would have happened if I had magic." The remark took Belle back for a moment and it saddened her. She couldn't think of anything to say in response and instead glared at her husband for a moment. What was worse was that he knew she heard him and he still didn't care. Perhaps if he did have his magic he would have known the moment she disappeared, but that didn't matter. It was too late for 'what-ifs' or 'perhaps'. Lily was gone. They needed to find her and that was all that mattered. His quip would have to be saved and addressed for later.

They traveled in the Cadillac together and sped into town stopping at Henry's Pawn Shop. The couple hurried into the establishment and was promptly greeted by Henry who appeared to have just gotten into the shop himself.

"Henry! We…" Belle started to say, but when they arrived Henry was running frantically back and forth as if searching for something. He had barely noticed their presence which prompted Gold to ask, "Henry, what's the matter?"

"I can't find Cogsworth!" he exclaimed worriedly, distracted by the task that was already at hand. She knew the timing of her question would only compound Henry's anxiety, but she had to ask anyways.

"Henry, Lily is missing. Have you seen her?" Belle asked, her tone matching the same kind of worry as Henry's.

"She wasn't home when we woke up this morning," Gold added.

"Lily is missing?" Henry asked out loud as he briefly paused his search for the watch to try and think of the last time he saw her. "The last time I saw her was yesterday. She was making her way toward the library. Oh man!" he exclaimed anxiously as his attention became quickly diverted to his original preoccupation. All Belle or Gold could see was Henry's head bobbing up and down behind each display case as he frantically checked around each area. Every nook and cranny he searched around came up empty. "This is bad," sighed Henry with anxious defeat.

"I guess asking you to help us find her is out of the question," Gold stated out loud. The situation was already looking hopeless and it was evident in the sound of his voice.

"Rumple," said Belle as she turned and reached for her husband's arm. "My mother warned me about this. That children of magic should be closely watched. I think my mother's Impossible Possible spell didn't work because I think Lily somehow has magic."

"Wait, Lily has magic? How?" Henry inquired stopping dead in his tracks on his search for his watch. "Wait a second… is it too much of a coincidence that she and my watch are both missing?" Mr. Gold gestured with his hand toward Henry to hold his thought as he interrupted him to hear Belle out, "Did she say anything else?"

"Only that Elsa and Hercules might help us… I think I know where there might still be magic in town!" Belle claimed as her eyes lit up with excitement. This could be the lead she was looking for to help find their daughter.

"Where?!" exclaimed both Gold and Henry with surprise.

"I can't say for certain," said Belle doubtfully. She didn't want to jump to conclusions over her newfound speculations, but her hunches definitely warranted research and she knew exactly where to begin. "You two continue searching for Cogsworth. I'm going to head over to visit Elsa and Hercules. Perhaps they can give us more insight about the whereabouts of our daughter."

"They might not be there. Today's the archery contest, remember? Almost everyone in town will be over at Kristoff's stables to watch the competition," warned Henry.

"Go on ahead," Gold instructed Belle. "I'll remain here at the shop with Henry. I suspect we'll still be here when you return."

Belle agreed and without saying a word she quickly spun on her heels and exited the shop, leaving Gold to help Henry find his pocket-watch.

* * *

 _ **Hey guys. So… as you might have noticed I'm one week behind in my posting and for that I deeply apologize. The reasons: work and a little screenplay by the name of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" came out (and, naturally, I completely nerded out this weekend). My focus towards reading that book took me away from my own story, hence the belated posting. It is still my intention on posting every Sunday so hopefully I won't be too off track. This has been one distraction-filled summer. Perhaps I should start writing these stories a little earlier as opposed to what I did for this story. Oh well, too late for that now.**_

 _ **Anyways, thank you to ladybugsmomma, Actress10 and Grace5231973 for sharing your reviews with me about the last chapter. You guys are my champions for sticking with me and this story. Hope you guys have been enjoying it so far. See you next chapter!**_


	13. Children of Magic

After learning about the whereabouts of Elsa and Hercules from her mother, Belle immediately left the Pawn Shop and proceeded down the street towards the ice cream shop. If Belle hadn't been so preoccupied with the search for her missing daughter she would have noticed as she crossed the street how eerily quiet the town was with the Archery contest going on away from town. Despite there being activity elsewhere she still spotted a few cars parked on the main street, which gave her hope that not everyone had evacuated their businesses. As expected, a few cars were sprinkled in front of Granny's Diner as well as the Pawn shop, but when she came to the Ice Cream shop she was surprised to see the 'Open' sign still flashing.

As she opened the shop's door she called out into the establishment, " _Hello? Elsa_?"

Elsa came out from the back room and upon recognizing the customer, greeted Belle with a smile. "Belle!"

Without saying another word, the blonde-haired woman came forward to Belle with open arms and gave her a warm hug. Surprised by the reception, Belle couldn't help but accept the sudden welcoming embrace and replied, "You're-you're still here."

"I am," said Elsa as she pulled away from the hug. "It's good to see you, old friend." Elsa took a step back and inspected her friend. It had been about eight or nine years since they had last interacted. "You seem distressed. What can I do for you?"

"This is all going to sound out of sorts, but to make a long story short my daughter is missing and my mother referred me to you in regards to magic."

"Oh! Well, I'm flattered that you would come to me to learn about magic, but uh, wouldn't your husband know more in regards to the matter?"

"He would, but um… I can't exactly trust my him right now."

"Ah, I see," acknowledged Elsa as she got quickly up to speed. She tried not to show her biases against Rumplestiltskin or press the matter any further because of their tiff they had eight years ago, but she kept her poise and quickly changed the awkward topic. "Remind me again, who's your mother?"

"Her name is Mary, Mary Poppins."

"Mary Poppins! Yes, of course! Lovely lady," Elsa recalled happily.

Belle sighed unsurprised over her mother's kind reputation. It always stung a bit for everyone to know more about her mother than she did. She rolled her eyes and replied, "Well apparently she's quite notorious in all worlds."

"Indeed. So, how does my knowledge in magic help you in regards to your missing daughter?"

"I need to know more about deity magic. My mother, as you may or may not know, is a wind deity and she cautioned me about the dangers of children with magic. And… now that I think about it..." Belle trailed off a bit as she realized why her mother redirected her to Elsa. Mary was very aware of the fragile relationship she and Belle shared together and probably figured that Belle would be more receptive to listening to someone of neutral standing than with her. "…I realize why she sent me to you."

"Your mother is a very clever woman. She reminds me a lot of my own mother…" Elsa appeared frozen in thought as she bit her lip and reflected. It was apparent how much Elsa still missed her. "…but she died when I was very young. You're lucky to still have yours."

"My relationship with my mother is… a bit complicated. She has many strengths, but she also has her weaknesses. One of which, is her inability to be direct. She's never been forthright about her magic and when confronted she manages to always be extremely cryptic about it."

"Well, it's true, I am a descendent of a deity. Growing up with magic wasn't exactly the greatest of experiences, but you understand."

"I-I don't actually. It's why I'm here. I've never had the magical touch," claimed Belle.

"That's… that's impossible," stated Elsa most preposterously. Elsa shook her head and looked at Belle with confusion and disbelief. "Your mother is a deity. That would make you a child of magic as well. Wouldn't it? Odd. Oh well, consider yourself fortunate. Our magic was the first struggle Hercules and I both had to deal with growing up. As if being different was hard enough. Boy, what I would have done to have skipped that portion of my childhood."

"I suppose that my experiences were much different than yours growing up," Belle speculated.

"Yes I'm sure, but probably not by much. Unless, you were somehow blessed with the gift of selective memory loss and forgot that part of your life. If that's the case, then I envy you."

"I think as a child I would have remembered having magic, unless…" Belle had to think back to her youth. If she herself was a child of magic, then certainly she would have remembered such a remarkable thing. Wouldn't she? Then why didn't she have any memories of it? The only person who would truly know for certain was her father.

Suddenly a small three-year old girl with auburn hair and piercing blue eyes appeared out of the back room of the store. "Mama?"

"My goodness!" exclaimed Belle in surprise as the girl ran forward into her mother's arms. "She looks just like your sister, Elsa."

"That's what everyone says," said Elsa as she lifted her daughter onto her hip. "Belle, this is Idina after my mother Iduna. My and Hercules's daughter."

The pleasant news startled Belle for a moment as she extended her hand to shake the little girl's, "Nice to meet you."

After timidly shaking Belle's hand, the little girl quickly retracted and buried her face into her mother's shoulder. Suddenly the shop felt inexplicably cooler. Belle could see her breath in front of her and small snowflakes began falling daintily around them. She looked around the shop in wild wonder and asked, "Elsa is that… do you-do you have magic?"

Elsa bit her lip and became suddenly struck by fear. Hesitant to respond right away, she set her daughter down on the ground and instructed Idina, "Go play in the back room. I'll be back there to play with you as soon as I'm done talking with my friend. Ok?" Idina nodded and obediently left them alone to finish their conversation.

Elsa looked anxiously at her daughter. Idina looked so incredibly like her Anna that it reminded her of a memory of a similar experience she had from long ago. She turned to Belle and explained, "When I was little, after I had just discovered my powers, Anna and I would escape in the middle of the night to play in the ballroom of our castle. There I'd create snowmen, castles, little storms; really test out my powers. I was still very new to my abilities and I didn't really know what I was doing. One night we were playing and I had accidentally injured her. I had struck her mind with ice and it nearly killed her. My parents and I went with her to see the Troll King and it was he who took away her frozen memories; of what I did to her and of any memories of me with magic. The Troll King placed a memory charm on her and I was told to separate myself from her, fearing that I'd one day accidentally freeze her heart. For years I was forced to stay away from her, fearing that one day I'd harm her. Well, the memories that were taken away not only took memories of my powers but of me. It was so painful that it scarred me emotionally. It took away many good things of what she knew about me."

As Belle stewed on Elsa's story, she realized that it wouldn't have been beyond her father to have placed a memory charm on her in secret. She knew of her kingdom's history with magic and when her grandfather reigned, magic was strictly forbidden. Perhaps, she reasoned, her father deliberately hid her talents and like Elsa, isolated her from everyone in fear that her abilities would become too dangerous. Belle wondered if something similar had happened to her when she was younger and if it was the reason why she couldn't perform magic like her husband?

Elsa glanced over at the back room where her daughter played and turned to Belle worriedly, "Please, no one must know about Idina's magic. If news of her abilities fell on the wrong ears, people would surely come after her. The Vigilante has already struck our shop."

Elsa begged of her friend for understanding, afraid and unsure if Belle would be the type of person to tell the whole town about her daughter. Between the Vigilante and Elsa's reaction, it became quickly apparent how politicized magic was in Storybrooke and Belle sympathized with her concerns. With great empathy, Belle reached out and comforted Elsa's shoulder, "I promise, your secret is safe with me."

At Belle assurance, Elsa exhaled a sigh of relief. "Thank you!" She clutched at her chest and began breathing normally, as if this entire time she was simply holding her breath. "I thought you would be upset with me!"

"Why would I be upset with you?" asked Belle who was puzzled by the thought.

"It was your spell. I just assumed that with Idina having magic that you were partisan to the Arrowed Vigilante, since all you wanted was to get rid of magic."

"I don't want to get rid of magic…" Belle couldn't believe what had just come out of her mouth, but it was too late. What was it about magic she didn't like? Belle explained further, "…It's just, I don't like what magic does to people." Belle's face instantly pained with regret. Essentially what it came down to was Belle not trusting Rumplestiltskin with magic and it was a concept Belle was slowly starting to admit. As she thought about it some more, she realized she was projecting her own insecurities over magic onto the rest of the town. Her stomach churned. Not only did her reply to Elsa not settle well with her, but Belle knew that somehow it wasn't right.

It wasn't fair for her to place restrictions on the rest of the community, especially to those who were responsible and able to deal with magic. So despite her good intentions with the Impossible Possible spell, her magical actions as a result unintentionally spurred vitriol within the community and she became the founder of the Vigilante's cause. The revelation stunned her. The truth was that Belle didn't like how Dark Magic transformed her husband and to draw upon the same conclusive thinking that all magic was bad for everyone was a complete misunderstanding on her part. Remorse ate her up inside and to avoid that feeling Belle carried on with the conversation, "What I don't understand is how? How is it that your daughter still possesses magic despite my casting the Impossible Possible spell?"

"Children born with magic… for some reason magic is more resilient when you're younger, perhaps because of their abundant belief in it. Or perhaps there's strong magic in youthful innocence. I'm not certain. All I know is, youth magic is almost as strong as True Love's Kiss. When I spoke to your mother last, it was about this very thing. About children with magic. When she explained to me her magic and the Impossible Possible spell it explained everything. It explains why your mother is as powerful as she is." Belle still looked confused, so Elsa continued, "Have you ever wondered why your mother had become a nanny? It's because she draws her strength from the belief of children. It's why her power is as abundant as it is strong. It's why Idina still has… magic." Elsa glanced worriedly over her shoulder by the back room where her daughter hid from view. "Anyways, that's the reason why we're here instead of at the Archery Contest. Hercules and I were both afraid of how everyone would react to her having magic."

"If you don't mind my asking, how are you dealing living in Storybrooke without magic?"

"I'm doing alright without it, but honestly, when I was growing up all I ever wanted was to be normal. And now that I _am_ normal I realize that my magic is part of me. It's what made me unique; made me feel special, so now I feel… lackluster. Like part of my personality is gone. It's quite disorienting, to tell you the truth. I can only imagine what your husband is going through."

"Rumple…" Belle began to say, but the notion gave her pause. Years ago when Henry first removed magic Rumple had experienced similar withdrawals from magic; disorientation, panic, confusion, even hysteria. He had confessed to her that he was addicted to magic, but she never truly realized the incredible toll it had on him or the sacrifice he made by quitting cold turkey. She supposed that their move to New York helped break him of the habit, but when Lily ran away to Storybrooke and into magic, it forced Rumple to dive into it again. The Author possessed his body and Rumple was involuntarily subjugated to magic again. Belle knew that Rumplestiltskin exposed himself to his old habit of magic to save his daughter, but what she wasn't sure of was whether it was enough to tempt him again. With Rumple's long history with magic Belle began to wonder if magic was just simply part of him like it was for Elsa.

Rumple seemed fine. He was enjoying his retirement from the pawning business, but was he? Belle already doubted his retirement status due to his frequent visiting of the shop. And then there was the question of symptoms, like why he wasn't suffering from withdrawals again like Elsa was currently experiencing. Perhaps with the seven-year abstinence of magic he was cured of his addiction, Belle thought hopefully. Perhaps he was just as eager to move back to Storybrooke as Lily was. Were they for the same reasons? Belle wanted to believe this was so, but all of the signs were pointing to magic and somehow both he and Lily had magic again. She wouldn't know for certain until she confronted him about it, but the fact remained… he had changed. "…Rumple has been fine." _A little too fine_ , Belle thought suspiciously.

"Oh, well. Maybe it _is_ just me."

Belle's mother was right. Her conversation with Elsa was enlightening. Not only did she understand why her intuition felt wrong, but more importantly, explained how she was right. She didn't want to believe in the existence of magic and there was magic in Storybrooke. Children born with magic, like her daughter, are impervious to her magic all because it was her mother's spell that made this all possible and her mother's magic was powered by the belief of children. Belle had so many questions.

As a daughter of a deity, could she wield magic again? Where would her magic come from? Does it come from children like her mother, Mary Poppins? Belle didn't know. All she knew for certain was that somehow both Rumple and Lily possessed magic and that they were both away from her at the moment. _Lily has magic!_

Belle suddenly panicked. Not only was Lily missing, so was Cogsworth! It couldn't have been a coincidence. It also wouldn't have been the first time Lily had taken Cogsworth from Henry. With the kind of power Lily had, there was no telling what Lily would do, where she was or what kind of trouble she would find herself in. She needed to reconnect with her husband to find out where she might have disappeared to and why. "Thank you Elsa!" Belle thanked anxiously as her heart skipped a beat.

"For what?" replied Elsa who appeared confused by the sudden gratitude.

"For your insight into deity magic. It really does clear things up with everything that's been going on with my family. I think I have an idea as to what's happened to my daughter!" stated Belle as she made her way to leave the ice cream shop.

"Wait! Is everything alright?" Elsa asked as she took step forward to Belle. "Do you know where she is?"

"No, but… it's difficult to explain. I'm so sorry for leaving so abruptly like this, but I need to get back to the Pawn Shop."

Belle quickly left the ice cream shop and crossed the street. When she looked up people from the archery contest were filing back into town.

* * *

 **Thank you to Grace5231973, ladybugsmomma and Montreat11 for reviewing! I love the reviews and reading what you guys have to say. Well done! I think I caught my second writing wind. Gotta catch it while the tide is still high. See you all next chapter!**


	14. The Archery Contest

The sun was barely over the horizon and both Killian and Emma were awake and dressed in their beach house by the sea. Hunched over the bathroom toilet, Emma vomited what could be called breakfast as Killian held her hair back. "This is a horrible idea, Swan," said Killian as he reached for a hand towel close by. "I think you need to come out and tell everyone the truth about your condition. Everyone will understand why you're not at the contest today."

Emma leaned back from the toilet bowl and sat on the back of her legs. She took the towel from Killian and wiped her face. After clearing her throat, she said, "I'll be fine. I'm close to finding out who the vandal is and by capturing this person it'll dampen whatever tensions this town has over magic. I can't relax until this criminal is caught and the town is peaceful again."

"Now that the Gold family has returned, I highly doubt that'll ever happen."

Confidently she replied, "This uprising against magic will pass, just as this nausea will." With the assistance of Killian, Emma slowly stood up and continued, "Though, it is curious how whenever they're in Storybrooke something always happens." Emma shrugged, dismissing the thought. "Perhaps, it's all just a coincidence."

" _There are no coincidences_ ," stated Killian boldly. The comment was foreboding and it stopped Emma in her tracks. She had heard that before. She had heard Neal make that exact same claim when they were in New York, right before he discovered his paternal connection with Henry. What did it mean? Was it a sign for things to come? Emma didn't know what to make of it. "Emma?" prodded Killian.

Seeing how frozen Emma was it appeared to Killian like she was about to faint. "I'm fine," lied Emma coolly as she shirked away Killian's attempts to support her. "Let's just get this over with. I'll tell my parents once we've captured this vigilante."

… …

Down by the town's horse stables laid a pasture perfect for the impromptu Archery Contest. Despite the last minute notice, almost half of the town arrived bright and early to help set up for the hullabaloo. Portable bleachers from the school were borrowed and set up next to the open field to view the contest. Neighbors, teachers, and businessmen all arrived to sell, watch and advertise their own projects. If anything, it was a great and exciting community affair and it amazed Emma how quickly the town turned the one event into a fair. As exciting as this fair was to Storybrooke's outsiders, all of the locals who spread word of the event knew exactly what the contest was really about; the final say over the town's magic. Or so Emma led everyone to believe.

Granny had already set up a booth close to the stands and despite it being very early in the morning, she had a successful line of spectators purchasing her spectacular finger foods. Next to Granny's was Hercules' booth that sold ice cream and other iced goodies. The rest of the business vendors had spread out around the mini arena selling clothes and other random merchandise to promote their business. Jugglers and magicians were found throughout the area as well, entertaining the crowds as people waited for the main event to start.

As they turned down the dirt road leading to the town's stables, both Emma and Killian were shocked to see the already busy activity before them from within the VW bug. Emma slowed the car to a halt and gawked at the festivity before them. "Wow, remind me to be more specific when I tell Granny to spread word about a particular event," marveled Emma to Killian from within the car.

"You've got to hand it to the woman," Killian added as he looked around wildly at the many distractions that had suddenly surrounded them, "she certainly knows how to throw a festival. Though in this town, I find that people will find any reason to celebrate."

"We're not trying to celebrate anything! We're trying to catch a criminal. I'm surprised everyone got together to do something like this at the last minute," remarked Emma to Killian as she slowly continued moving forward with the vehicle. When they arrived in the make-shift dirt parking lot behind the stables they both got out of the vehicle and wandered to the stands, but before she could get a better glimpse of the field both she and Killian ran into Regina, Robin and her parents.

"Swan!" called out Regina to Emma slightly peeved. "When you requested a permit from me to host a public competition you never told me that what you were really putting on was a three-ring circus."

"When I told Granny that there would be an Archery contest, I honestly didn't expect there to be this kind of turn-out," replied Emma honestly.

"That's because," interrupted Mary-Margaret as she and her husband approached their daughter, "having trials like this in our land were actual spectacles. Traditionally speaking, everyone would come out to see."

"Mary-Margaret or should I say, Snow White, I'm glad to see that you're participating in the event," remarked Robin as he adjusted his own bow that was draped proudly across his body.

"What can I say, _Robin Hood_ , I wouldn't miss out on an opportunity to best you," smiled Snow to Robin as she tightened her arrow holster.

"Oh, well we'll see about that," Robin said jovially, accepting Snow's challenge.

"I know this is to find out who the Vigilante is, but… this is quite exciting," noted David sharing everyone's enthusiasm. David turned to his daughter and said, "Your mother wouldn't stop talking about it all night. Stayed up late at the shooting range practicing."

Suddenly Emma had the urge to vomit, but stifled it by covering her mouth protectively.

"Emma!" exclaimed Snow as she reached to her daughter with concern.

"Woah, are you ok?" questioned her father.

Seeing that she couldn't speak, Killian fibbed on Emma's behalf and said, "Emma's just a little nervous. That's all. Isn't that right, love?"

"Yeah-yeah, nervous jitters," lied Emma as she repeated back the false reasoning for her nausea. "Let's just get the show on the road, huh?"

Emma pushed through the gathering of her friends and family to get to Granny's booth, but before she could question the old woman Granny thrusted a bouquet of cotton candy in her direction. "Want a snack?" said the old woman happily.

"No thanks," said Emma as she covered her mouth. "It's way too early in the morning for that."

Granny shrugged her shoulders and said simply, "Suit yourself."

Emma fought another wave of nausea with words and replied, "Granny, this was supposed to be an exclusive event. How did it come to this?"

Granny shrugged and replied, "Honestly, as I told our people about the contest and said that I'd be showcasing some of my pies people started seeing it as an opportunity to showcase their businesses as well. Actually, you should be thanking me. This fair is the perfect distraction for unsuspecting outsiders. If half the town abandoned their shops suddenly it would certainly look suspicious. I may not know magic, but I do understand misdirection."

"I hate to admit this, but Lasagna Lady has a point," chimed in Regina as she and Robin followed after Emma to Granny's stand. Regina continued, "By the way, have you seen Henry? He said he would try and make an appearance."

"Who knows with that kid?" said Emma with a defeated sigh. "He's always busy doing work. I'd be surprised to see him here."

"I'm sure with his grandfather in town he has his hands full," added Regina as she and Robin passed her to find their seats in the bleachers. After seeing a fellow contestant, both Mary-Margaret and David left their daughter to talk with their friend which left Emma and Killian by.

Emma left Granny's food stand with Killian and they approached the sign-up booth for the contest together. While taking the clipboard into her hands she perused through the list of contestants, thinking that anyone of these people could be The Vigilante. " _…_ _Mary-Margaret, Granny, Robin, Little John, Hercules,… Clark?"_

Killian shrugged his shoulders out of surprise as well. "Who knew the dwarf had a hidden talent?"

Emma hummed off a few other names she remembered belonging to Robin's Merry Men, but then decided to let the contest reveal her criminal and to trust in the trap she had set up. Surely the Vigilante couldn't resist an opportunity like this? Emma hoped. As she perused through the list she realized she already knew everyone on the list to be innocent, so she hoped that the actual winner wouldn't call her out on her bluff. On the table next to the clipboard sat a megaphone which Emma picked up. She turned the device on with minor feedback and announced, "Storybrooke's Archery Contest is about to begin. Contestants meet inside the field and stand in front of your intended target. Gather your materials and everyone else watching proceed to the bleachers. We shall begin in ten minutes."

As people passed by Emma to sit in the bleachers, she scanned the crowd looking for people who looked suspicious. From what she observed there were only two or three people from the outside world that had come to watch this make-shift fair so it made Emma even more guarded. Regina sat front and center on the bleachers, making herself completely obvious to the crowd around her who she was within the community as she watched to support her husband, Robin.

Seeing that everyone was ready to get started Emma took a gulp and then while standing behind the archers proceeded to explain the rules. She lifted up the megaphone again and announced, "Individuals will have three arrows to hit the bullseye. Only one arrow is needed to make it to the next round. First round will be at 60 yards. On the second round, the same rule will still apply except the target will be at 80 yards. If for some fluke reason there is still an undecided winner, there will be a Sudden Death Round: one arrow must hit the bullseye at 100 yards. Whoever gets closest to the dead center wins. Archers are you ready?"

Emma waited a moment as she glanced down the line of competitors who all nodded silently to each other with arrows at the ready. "Take aim and then fire at will."

One by one arrows flew through the air as most of the first volley made it to the intended target. After that the contestants took their time launching their second and third arrows until finally everyone had shot the last of their three arrows. Emma came forward into the field to make the final judgement, looking suspiciously into the crowd as well as the row of archers for anything out of the ordinary. She went down the row of targets inspecting the arrows, searching for the Vigilante's but none were seen.

Emma stopped at each target and gave a thumbs up to the archer who met the requirement and would be advancing to the next round. Both cheers and groans could be heard within the audience as Emma made her judgement and archers could be seen congratulating each other. "Sorry mate," said Robin to his friend Little John. As Little John backed out graciously he encouraged his friend, "Go win it for the Men of Sherwood!"

Some locals came down from the bleachers and moved the targets of the remaining contestants further back by 20 yards. The remaining contestants were: Snow White, Robin Hood, Hercules and Granny. From where Mary-Margaret stood in the archer's row, she searched for her husband in the crowd and waved at him. David not only waved back, but followed it with a loud inspiring cheer which made Snow White beam with pride. Once Emma was safely back behind the archers she lifted the megaphone to her face.

"Thanks guys," thanked Emma through the megaphone to the volunteers who helped remove the arrows and move the targets for the remaining contestants back. "Alright. Round two. Same rules apply. Everyone gets three arrows to shoot. Only one must hit the bullseye in order to advance to the Sudden Death Round. Archers at your ready… take aim and fire!"

The second round's volley of arrows flew through the air and all of the contestants' arrows hit the bullseye. Although at that point the second and third arrows seemed superfluous, the archers went ahead and boastfully showed their prowess by launching their second and third arrows landing perfectly, if not very close to their previous arrows. Proudly, all of the archers beamed as the crowd cheered in unison over the conclusion of round two.

Emma quickly walked by each target and inspected each one like before giving a thumbs up on all four targets, signaling officially to the crowd that they had all made it to the Sudden Death Round. Another burst of applause and cheers emitted from the crowd as Emma made her way back to stand safely behind the archers. On cue, the volunteers from before removed the three targets leaving just one for the final round. As soon as the volunteers cleared the board of all of its arrows they moved the targets back another twenty yards. Emma gave another grateful nod to the volunteers as they too walked away from the firing range. Once they made it out of the firing range, Emma lifted the megaphone again to her face and announced to the crowd in the bleachers, "Before we determine the winner for today's contest, I just… want to say congratulations to everyone who made it to the final round and to thank everyone who participated in today's contest as well as this… fair. It truly has brought the community together and has… unexpectedly, turned into an exciting event." A modest applause erupted from within the audience over Emma's statement of gratitude to which Emma used as her cue to move on. She directed her megaphone to the archers and said, "One at a time, each archer will be given the opportunity to shoot. As a reminder, whoever gets their arrow closest to dead center will be declared winner. I'll let the archers decide amongst themselves who will go first."

Hercules, Granny, Robin and Snow looked back and forth at each other and upon seeing no one volunteer, Granny stepped up to the line confidently and said, "Age before beauty."

With one easy breath and pull, Granny released an arrow into the air. When the arrow landed it landed just outside of the bullseye to which a disappointed groan could be heard from within the crowd. All Granny could do was shrug off the disappointment and said, "Oh well. Crossbows were my specialty anyways."

Granny stepped off to the side of the field to watch with the rest of the crowd as the contestants decided amongst themselves who would go next. Hercules bowed courteously towards Snow, making a kind gesture for her to go next, but was immediately waved away by her. Seeing that Snow insisted he go Hercules obliged and went next. He plucked an arrow from out of his holster and took aim. His focus was intense for only a moment and without taking a breath he released the arrow and it landed just inside the bullseye circle. A round of applause and cheers erupted for Hercules as he backed away from the shooting line. With a brilliant smile he turned to the audience and waved at the delighted crowd.

"Well he certainly knows how to please a crowd," remarked Robin to Snow.

"I would say so," agreed Snow as Hercules made his way to stand next to Granny over by the audience. Snow turned back to Robin and suggested, "So, should we _Rock, Paper, Scissors_ to decide who goes next?"

"Oh no," replied Robin courteously, "Women first. I insist."

"You afraid I'll win?" challenged Snow boastfully.

"I'm not afraid," declared Robin, "I know you'll win."

"For someone who's known for his legendary skill in archery, why are you suddenly doubting yourself?"

"I'm not doubting myself. I know I'll hit the target, but I also know of my weaknesses, which are female archers who are just as skilled with the bow as me."

"Don't tell me you're going to let me win because I'm a woman."

"On the contrary, your talent alone is what's so intimidating. Let's just say that I'm glad we're friends. I would never want to be your enemy or be caught in your crosshairs for that matter."

Snow smirked at the implication and encouraging words and plucked an arrow from her holster to take aim next. She stared down at the target that was a hundred yards away and cleared her mind, leaving only the bullseye in her purview. In her mind, she blanketed out the noise of the crowd and focused intensely at the target in front of her. She slowly placed the arrow on its' rest and pulled back on the bow string. Through the sight window of her bow she took account of the light breeze that flowed through the pasture and adjusted accordingly anticipating the movement of the arrow when it would fly through the air. With a confident breath she inhaled and upon exhaling released the arrow. It flew through the air and just as she had anticipated landed perfectly at the targets center, hitting the Bullseye. The crowd's jeers were more impactful and louder than Hercules' and brought Snow back into reality. She stepped back from the shooting line realizing the success of her shot and turned to Robin.

"Well done," commended Robin as he nodded respectfully towards her. Snow White beamed and blushed as she encouraged, "Now, it's your turn to split my arrow. Good luck Robin!"

"With pleasure," smirked Robin as Snow walked away from Robin to join both Granny and Hercules over at the sidelines. He waited for Snow to safely exit the shooting range before withdrawing his arrow. The crowd seemed to silence as they all waited with bated breath to see his result. In one confident fluid motion, he placed the arrow in the arrow rest of his bow and pulled back on his bow string. Before he could release his arrow another flaming arrow flew over him landing on the target and catching the board on fire.

Yells and gasps of shock and anxiety came from within the crowd as everyone turned to see where the flaming arrow had originated from. Robin turned quickly following the arrow's trajectory and like everyone else saw a masked hooded figure who was standing on top of a truck jump down from the vehicle and run away. "The Vigilante! It's the Vigilante!" called out spectators from the bleachers as David leapt to Granny's booth to grab the fire extinguisher. People began dispersing from the bleachers to escape the hazard before them, which made chasing after the Vigilante even more challenging for Emma. The grounds suddenly became chaotic as people quickly tried to escape.

As David promptly headed over to the target to extinguish the fire, Emma made an attempt to chase after the Vigilante, but before Emma could take three steps Killian grabbed her shoulders and stopped her, "Emma don't! Not in your condition!"

The timing of his command couldn't have been any worse as her mother heard every word. " _Emma…_ ," called out Mary-Margaret accusatively to her daughter. "What's wrong? What's this condition Killian is talking about? As your mother, I have a right to know."

Overwhelmed and frustrated Emma blurted out angrily, "Nothing is wrong!" Emma watched angrily as the Vigilante disappeared. She turned to her husband, accusing him as she yelled, "You're letting the criminal get away!"

Mary-Margaret stood directly in front of her daughter and brought the focus of Emma's wrath to her. With the extinguisher still in hand, David rejoined the group and Mary-Margaret calmly and gently asked her daughter again but with sincere concern, "What's going on, honey?"

" _I'm pregnant, alright?!_ " confessed Emma seriously, almost embarrassedly. The news came across to the family as a bit of a shock, but then quickly turned to joy.

"Really? That's amazing news!" replied David as he placed the extinguisher on the ground.

"That's what I said!" added Killian agreeing with David. David's joy turned quickly to confusion as he saw the serious look on his daughter's face, "Wait, why is this sad news?"

"Emma why would you hide something like this from us?" wondered Mary-Margaret sadly as she placed a caring hand on Emma's arm. Emma huffed exhaustively as she shirked away her mother and rubbed the sides of her temples. While clearly distressed she yelled as she answered back, "Mom, I'm almost forty! I am what's called an At-Risk Pregnancy which means a lot of complications."

"Complications never stopped our family before," pointed out Mary-Margaret and rightly so. Emma didn't need a reminder as to how similar she was in age with her parents; an obvious complication she had learned to live with and accept. It was true. If anything, their family was nothing but complicated. She supposed that if she needed advice in all things complicated, her own parents were the most experienced in that field. In a way, the knowledge gave her some comfort. However trivial her mother's statement was, it was a point well-made.

With the truth now out in the open, Emma went ahead and confessed the rest of her fears hoping that the rest of her anxieties could be just as easily justified. Her words seemed jumbled as she rambled, "Yeah? Well, you mix that with the looming dread that I'll screw up and make the same mistake as I did with Henry in giving him up. And with unbelievable parents like Snow White and Prince Charming how can I ever measure up to that fairy tale? Or even explain it for that matter."

"Emma," chimed in David, "I'm flattered that you've put your mother and I up on some sort of pedestal, but your mother and I are not perfect. We've made plenty of mistakes together. The most important part is that we've learned from them. You won't be giving up this baby. You want to know why? Because you have something now that you didn't have then..."

"And what's that?"

" _…_ _a family_. You have a strong support system and are surrounded by people who love you and are willing to help you through this. Oh honey," David said while coming close to his daughter and bringing her in close for a supportive hug. "Why do you see this as a burden when it's really a blessing?"

With her face buried in her father's shoulder she muffled, "I'm scared."

"I know you are. I know because I felt the exact same way when I learned about you as well as your brother Neal. And since you're _my_ daughter, I also know that you'll confront this fear head-on and that is how you'll conquer it."

Emma pulled away from her father with tears in her eyes and smiled. He was Snow's hero, but today he was Emma's hero and he said exactly what she needed to hear. David smiled, kissing her forehead proudly as Emma wiped away the tears that had fallen down her face. Mary-Margaret came forward with tears of joy in her eyes and said with open-arms to her daughter, "Congratulations!"

Emma moved to her mother and they came together as a family for a joyous hug. When she pulled away from her mother she turned to her husband. He smiled proudly back at her and said, "See? That wasn't so bad."

Despite how Emma hated it when he was right, she nodded in agreement. She quickly changed her demeanor when she looked around the abandoned pasture and saw that it was just her family, Robin and Regina left. David parted from his family and offered his hand to Killian. Without looking down he said to him, "Congratulations."

"Thank you," replied Killian proudly, yet humbly as he shook his hand. "How do you feel about being a grandfather again?"

David sighed then said confidently, "Like the role I was always meant to play."

Realizing that the Vigilante had escaped, Emma turned to Killian and reminded him, "Now that my parents know, I wanted to remind you that Doc did say I could continue exercising and that includes running. Like running after the Vigilante which has now gotten away!"

"You won't have to do that, Emma," interrupted Robin as both he and Regina walked up to them. With a scorched arrow in his hand, both Robin and Regina joined in with the rest of the group. Everyone in the family turned to Robin as he rotated the once inflamed arrow of the Vigilante in his hands. Robin stopped twisting the arrow to reveal along the shaft the Vigilante's message which bore in Dark Purple, _No Magic_.

"What do you mean, Robin?" Emma asked as they all curiously stared at the arrow in his hands.

"You see, when you came to the forest to investigate and interrogate my fellow men, you never brought any of the Vigilante's arrows for us to inspect. Otherwise, I would have immediately recognized this wrapping." Robin pointed and dragged his finger along the feather-fletching, nock and cresting. "You might have noticed that all of the arrows used in this competition were artificially made, except for mine and the Vigilante's." Robin withdrew one of his own arrows to compare to the Vigilante's and showed the rest of the group. "Now if you look at the cresting, it's twine used to counter balance the weight of the arrow-head's flame is uniquely tied. Most crests are just symbols or paints or patterns. As you can see, I wrap and tie sewing string onto mine as my crest. When I reach for my arrows I feel the different knot designs on the crest to help me differentiate arrows. Each knot pattern represents a specific arrow designed for a particular purpose and helps me quickly determine which one I want to use." The knots of both of the arrows crests he used to compare were identical in design.

"So what does that mean?" asked Killian on behalf of everyone's curiosity in the group. Emma quickly connected the dots as to what the two arrows similarities meant and looked up into Robin's eyes. "You know who the Vigilante is, don't you?"

"There's only one other person I've ever taught to mark their crests like this… and that would be my son, Roland," he said disappointedly. Everyone was shocked over the Vigilante's identity and took a moment to let that knowledge sink in. At first, Emma was in disbelief, but as she held the two arrows in her hands she knew it to be the truth.

"Wait… if Roland was the one who shot the arrow, and," Mary-Margaret turned to her husband mid-sentence with dread in her voice, "…Neal spent the night with Roland..."

"I'm sorry, what is going on?" asked Robin, wanting to clarify what Mary-Margaret was talking about.

"Neal said that he was spending the night with Roland last night," claimed Mary-Margaret.

"Yeah, and he also claimed that he had your consent," added David as he bowed his head in shame. With a disappointed sigh he realized what that meant and while looking up continued, "Which, by the look on your face, I take that he didn't get from you, meaning that he lied to us."

"Neal lied to us?" Mary-Margaret asked out loud in disbelief.

"And you're surprised? I'm just surprised he hadn't lied to you sooner," remarked Regina. At her response everyone turned to the mayor who followed up on her comment defensively, "Henry ran away when he was ten to find Emma. I would say that lying and running away runs in the family."

"Well, Neal is still part of our family and any child lost must take priority to be found," mitigated Robin who turned to David and confirmed, "I'm sorry. I was not aware that your son was spending time with mine."

David turned to his wife and shook his head, "Snow, I really think we should invest in a phone for our son."

"That will be the first thing we do, as soon as we find him of course... after we ground him," agreed Mary-Margaret as she turned to her daughter. She placed a caring hand on her shoulder and said quickly with a warm smile, "Emma, I'm so happy for you and Killian. This is wonderful news, and we will surely celebrate this and talk more of this later. I promise, but right now, your father and I have got find your brother."

Emma nodded, understanding completely. While insisting that they leave, Emma encouraged, "Go. Call me if you need me. I'll do the same if something comes up." Before leaving, David gratefully kissed Emma on her head and took off with Mary-Margaret to search for Neal.

"So, Sheriff," asked Regina to Emma, breaking the silence as she crossed her arms, "How are we going to handle… _this_?" Regina nodded towards Roland's arrow which was still in Robin's hands and they all stared at it, contemplating the same thing.

"Well _Mayor_ … we have to apprehend Roland, but unfortunately that means I'll need a warrant from you," answered Emma regretfully. She turned to Robin and with great sympathy asked gently, "I'm sorry about this Robin, but I have to ask, where is Roland now? Where would Roland go? Or, I guess if he still thinks we aren't on to him, where are we supposed to think he is?"

"I will tell you where he is, however, I do have one request," countered Robin.

"Name it," obliged Emma.

"Let me come with you when you apprehend him. I feel as though I'm partly responsible for everything that has transpired here today."

"Robin," interjected Regina. "You didn't do this. This is not your fault."

Robin turned to Regina and disagreed. He shook his head and gently lifted her hands holding them sincerely within his own. "I am responsible for him and until he is an adult I must see to it that he understands the repercussions of his actions. Besides, I think I know why he's chosen this path for himself."

"I'll come as well," added Regina virtuously.

"As what? _Mayor? Mother? Judge and Executor?_ That can't be ethical," Emma said brashly.

"Says the woman whose father is under her employ," retaliated Regina as she sneered at Emma. Before the verbal fight could escalate further, Robin quickly intervened and said, "Emma's right. Forgive me for saying this, but it _would_ look bad if you came… especially because of where we'll be going."

"And where _are_ we going?" asked Emma.

"Roland is supposed to be with his mother on the weekends. In order to get to him we're going to have to go through my ex-wife. We're going to have to talk to Marian."

… …

Robin rode with Killian and Emma in her Volkswagen Bug as they departed the stables leaving Regina at the pasture to decide how to help Kristoff clean-up the area. The VW bug arrived inside the gates of a very dense apartment complex community and parked in front of Marian's residence. All three of them stepped out of the vehicle and scaled the building with their eyes.

The complex bordered the forest's edge and was within running distance from the stables. From what Emma could tell of the structure there were three exits: the front, the back and the emergency outdoor spiral staircase on the side of the building. As she scanned the building quickly she noticed the emergency staircase having recently been used. She made a mental note of the observation as the three individuals entered the building. A thought sprung into her head as Emma turned to her husband and requested, "Killian, I need you to wait outside by the building's outside emergency staircase."

"What for?"

"Call it hunch."

At the request, Killian nodded, turned around and waited outside. Robin could tell what Emma was thinking and felt helpless to argue with her. Roland might still be in the building and attempt to escape. Even he couldn't deny the possibility as they continued inside the building and ascended the stairs to the third floor. When they approached Marian's apartment door Emma knocked.

"Who is it?" called out Marian from inside.

"It's me, Marian," answered Robin, "as well as Sheriff Swan. We need to speak with you about Roland."

There was a moment of hesitance until finally a few shuffles could be heard from within and the door finally unlocked. The door to the apartment opened partially revealing only half of Marian's face. She had the most salient look on her face and said just as curtly, "What about him? This is my time with him as per our agreement."

"Is Roland here? This includes him as well," asked Emma.

"Roland is busy… doing homework… for school," stated Marian as she opened the door a little further. She was clearly dodging the question, which could only be concluded that Marian was covering for him. Marian was no fool, sizing Emma from head to toe. She turned to Emma and said fiercely, "I'm sorry, is he being accused of something?"

"Marian, this is serious. Roland has gotten himself into trouble," claimed Robin.

"If we could just come inside and talk to him—" suggested Emma, but she was immediately cut off by Marian. Marian held up a hand to her face to silence her and with a defiant attitude interrupted, "-If I'm not mistaken, the laws of this world claim that you cannot enter my home without a warrant. So if you could just leave-"

Just then a few voices from behind them got louder and both Killian and Roland came forward. Roland struggled within Killian's grasp as he insulted, "-ger'off me, you stupid pirate!"

"It's not saying much about you for being caught by this stupid pirate," quipped Killian as he released the teenager in front of Emma and his parents. "He was trying to escape from one of the rooms outside the building. Oh, and he had these in his possession." Killian carried Roland's arrow holster and bow around his right shoulder and handed them over to Emma. He then reached into his front jacket pocket and pulled out the infamous purple spray paint can and handed it over as well.

"You must feel like _quite a man_ to capture children," sneered Marian as she draped her arms protectively over Roland's shoulders. "What? Couldn't get your fill from your time in Neverland?"

"Marian!" scolded Robin quickly.

"What was he doing trying to escape?" defended Emma before the spat between Killian and Marian escalated. "Running away from authorities only makes you look guilty."

Before Marian could reply Robin quickly began the interrogation, "Roland, what's going on? Why are you doing this?"

Roland could barely look into his father's eyes. Seeing this reaction Robin immediately corrected the behavior and said with a raised voice, "Look into my eyes when I am speaking to you!" At his command, Roland looked up into his father's eyes leaving the small hallway feeling incredibly tense over the seriousness of the moment. "Where is your honor, son? Every man of the Hood has a code-"

With tears in his eyes Roland interrupted his father. He took a step forward away from his mother and angrily replied, "-Codes?! Those are _your_ codes, not mine! Every man of the Hood was brought to this land involuntarily _through magic_! You speak of code and honor but nothing of the brotherhood itself! Are you so blinded by magic to not realize what it has done to our family?"

"I don't understand. Are you upset with me? What exactly are you mad about?" asked Robin.

"Not everybody who wants to leave Storybrooke can leave Storybrooke and everyone who _should_ leave Storybrooke won't. I think you've forgotten who you are, father. You've lived here for so long that you've forgotten how to take the pulse of our people. Take a look around! There are no kings or queens here, just people… _good_ people, and the people have spoken. In this world, those who possess magic are not on equal standing with the rest of us. It's obvious! With too many times to mention, these magical heroes come in and make decisions on our behalf without our consent. If you hadn't noticed, it's always the people with magic who dictate how we live and we never know if today will be the day we get cursed and our world will be once again ripped away from us because some magician has a grudge against another. Those who have magic don't ever have to suffer the way we do, and it is _always_ us that have to. I would say that it's pretty clear: magic does not belong here. No one born of this world is born with magic, therefore no one should have magic."

Defeated, Roland leaned his head against the wall nearby him and said in a calmer voice, "It doesn't matter anyways. Magic still exists in Storybrooke."

"If that's true then I would have sensed it," pointed out Emma. Roland shook his head and then turned to Emma.

"You don't get it. I saw Lily Gold use magic outside Henry's shop," Roland claimed.

"No, that can't be," shook Emma's head in disbelief. "Belle's spell rendered magic impossible here."

"I can't explain it, but somehow she does."

Emma turned to Killian who appeared to be just as doubtful and concerned as she was. With deep regret Emma turned to Roland and said, "I'll look into it, but Roland… unfortunately I have to take you into custody. On the plus side, you'll be tried in juvenile court, meaning that your penance won't be drastic."

"You know that I'm right," said Roland absolutely. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Lily or her father are finding ways to endanger everybody in Storybrooke right now."

Emma didn't like the sound of Roland's last statement as he surrendered himself to her. After a brief argument between Robin and Marian it was decided that Robin would be the parent accompanying him to the Sheriff's office and they all filed into Emma's small VW bug. They drove all the way into town and Robin watched as Emma booked Roland at the Sheriff's station. The whole time, Emma thought about Roland's ominous statement. It wouldn't have surprised her to discover that Mr. Gold had magic or to find out that Storybrooke was somehow in danger again as a result of it, but Lily? How would Lily have magic? _Henry's with his grandfather. He would have mentioned something to me if he had found anything suspicious, wouldn't he?_ Emma wondered. Her heart wanted this to be the case, but her intuition told her otherwise. Emma always trusted her instinct and inexplicably she became overwhelmed by dread.

 _If Roland was lying about witnessing Lily using magic, then what would he gain by saying it? Why would Roland lie about witnessing something like that if he knew he was already going to jail?_ Another curious statement that needed to be looked further into. Emma turned her head in the direction of the Pawn Shop and thought of Henry. How _was_ he doing? Was his grandfather still at the shop with him? _They had been spending a lot of time together,_ Emma thought curiously. It was definitely worth investigating.

Suddenly Regina walked into the Sheriff station with a business card ready in hand. With surprise, Emma said, "Regina!"

"I've got a lawyer on standby for you Roland," said the mayor as she sat on the opposite bench next to Robin looking in at Roland through the jail cell. "Don't say another word until he arrives."

"Why are you doing this? You are by no means obligated to do this," said Robin. Regina turned to Roland in the cell and said, "I swore to your mother a long time ago. I would everything in my power to help her, and that includes helping you." Regina turned to Emma and ordered, "Robin and I will remain here until our lawyer arrives. I suggest that you vacate the premises until after Roland speaks to his lawyer."

Surprised by the sudden turnabout of events Emma happily agreed to leave the station. "Ok," was all Emma could say as she signaled for Killian to follow her. As soon as they were both outside the station she turned to Killian and said, "Let's go to the Pawn Shop."

"Why?" Killian asked perplexedly. It was the last place he wanted to be at the moment.

"I have another hunch. I can't shake this feeling like something bad is about to happen."

"Are you sure it has nothing to deal with the pregnancy?"

Emma shook her head, "Back at Marian's apartment, when Roland mentioned seeing Lily use magic… I can't help but believe him, you know? I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong, but I need to be certain. I need to talk to Henry. Perhaps he can alleviate my suspicions."

"Or confirm them," added Killian as they both walked down the main street together to head to the Pawn Shop.

"God, I hope I'm wrong."

* * *

 **Alas! The big reveal of the Vigilante. Hi guys! Loved the reviews. Definitely feeling the love. This was definitely a big chapter for me. A lot of characters doing a lot of things. A lot of editing. Took me a while to write. What did you think? Were you right? Who did you think The Vigilante was initially? Thank you to ladybugsmomma, Montreat11, Grace5231973, Princess Milly for reading and reviewing. Did you catch that name-drop from the previous chapter? I totally named Elsa and Hercules' daughter after Idina Menzel. Figured it strangely appropriate all things considered. Until next week, see you next chapter!**


	15. What is the Same and What is Different

**_…_** ** _Alternate Universe… Storybrooke…_**

Neal Cassidy clutched at his chest as the voices in his head pounded away. The migraine was becoming excruciating. He could feel the change starting to occur. He hurried across the main street and ran into his father's Pawn Shop. Inside, Belle looked up expectantly. She could tell by the strained look on his face that it was already happening. Years of this condition became automatic for the two of them, but it had taken more of a toll on Neal than Belle and it was evident by the graying of his hair and darkened circles beneath his eyes. As much as she had loved and missed Rumple, she needed Neal more. She needed a friend who was coherent and Neal was the only person she could truly trust in town, especially after all they had been through. "Another dose?" she inquired as she searched for a vial from beneath the counter.

"Please," moaned Neal as he placed the tips of his fingers against his temple. He extended his available hand and stared at it. His hand shook in front of him and it was how he was able to gauge his condition. It was becoming critical.

"I just made some this morning," remarked Belle. "If you had waited any longer, you would have…" The Pawn Shop's bell rung unexpectedly as a young girl with brown hair and hazel eyes suddenly walked into the shop unaccompanied. Having never seen the eight-year-old before, the two adults found it curious to see her and was the cause for Belle's incomplete sentence. Perhaps it was the confidence from the way the girl carried herself, but between Neal and Belle there was something oddly familiar about her. "Hi… Can I-can I help you with something?" asked Belle to the young stranger.

"You seem lost," assumed Neal as he squinted through the pain to look at the girl.

The little girl seemed to swell with excitement, grinning from ear to ear as she hesitantly walked forward to the two adults in the room. "My name is Lily Go-. Lily. Just Lily."

" _Just_ Lily, huh?" remarked Neal suspiciously. He knew she was withholding some truth from them. He recognized the look, but what was it? And why was she refraining? There was a reason she was withholding the rest of her name and it only made the encounter even more peculiar.

"Well, Lily, my name is Belle," introduced Belle. Despite the dark circles beneath her eyes, possibly from too many years of sleepless nights and crying, Belle still managed to portray a warm heart-felt smile to the girl.

"And I'm N-" began Neal, but was immediately cut off by Lily as she finished. "-Neal Cassidy. I know who you are… and I've been waiting my whole life to meet you… and now, I'm finally here! You're-you're everything I'd hope you'd be!" Lily took another hesitant step forward towards Neal and continued gawking at him with absolute awe.

"I'm sorry," wondered Belle cautiously without trying to sound rude, "Have we met before? I don't think I've ever seen you around Storybrooke before." Belle couldn't shake this feeling of familiarity about her.

"How do you know my nam-?" began Neal, but he was again caught off-guard by Lily as she bombarded him with a hug. Lily couldn't wait any longer. Lily had lunged at Neal unexpectedly, and wrapped her arms around his body, preventing him from completing his question. "Woah!" gasped Neal as he quickly lifted his arms out of the way. "Oh, uh… ok."

Something within Neal compelled him to place a gentle hand on the girl's back and reciprocate the hug, but the moment Neal relaxed, his face suddenly began to warp and he backed away from the little girl to avoid frightening or possibly injuring her. Belle sprung out from around the counter and immediately fed the potion that was in her hands into Neal's mouth.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" apologized Lily as she backed away. She was completely confused by what was happening. Neal slurped down the potion Belle fed him and his face instantly returned to his own. The moment he regained his senses he slammed the vial down on the counter. Afterwards, he pointed at Lily accusatively and exclaimed, "You are not from here! I want the truth! _Who are you exactly?!_ "

Both Belle and Lily jumped at Neal's explosive reaction, but it was Lily who became the sole focus of their concern. Belle legitimately wanted to know who the little girl was too and so she and Neal turned fearfully to the young stranger who answered back timidly, "…My-my name is Lily."

" _Your full name!_ " clarified Neal, demanding forcefully. He knew instantly of her restraint and it was evident that he had no patience for trickery or deception.

"Ok! Ok, but it's a long story," Lily said while raising her hands to assure them that she wasn't a threat. In a calm voice she said, "and you're probably not going to believe me, but my name… is actually Lily Gold."

" _Lily Gold?_ " Belle repeated back out loud in disbelief. "Wait… are you saying that you're related to Rumplestiltskin?"

Lily nodded slowly.

"Why did you withhold your full name when you introduced yourself?" questioned Neal.

"I-I was afraid you wouldn't believe me!" answered Lily honestly.

In a much calmer voice, Neal started combing his fingers through his hair anxiously and exhaled out of disbelief, "You're my _sister?_ "

Lily replied again by nodding to which Belle immediately asked, "How is that possible? Rumple only had one child." Belle turned to Neal and promptly questioned, "And how did _you_ know that she wasn't from around here?"

"It's… hard to explain. She hugged me mid-transformation and Papa… somehow knew. But that's beside the point!" In a flash, Neal's demeanor changed and it amazed Lily how quick he was to anger. "Think about it! Neither one of us have seen her around here before and with Storybrooke's enchanted borders still up that automatically makes her suspicious."

Lily took a frightened step back and asked while looking around the shop, "Is Papa here? He doesn't know I'm here." She looked wildly around expecting him to pop out of nowhere to reprimand her.

"Boy, you really aren't from around here, are you? Well, if he didn't know before, he certainly knows now," remarked Neal sarcastically. Belle furrowed her brow and suddenly concluded as she realized, "Neal, I don't think she's from this time. Are you from the future?"

"I thought time travel spells were impossible," countered Neal to Belle.

"Before Zelena disappeared that's all she was trying to do. And if that's possible then it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if we discovered she wasn't from our time. Is that how you got here, sweetheart? Through Zelena's time portal?" The look on Belle's face seemed hopeful as she got closer to the little girl.

 _Sweetheart._ Belle's tone and delivery of the word instantly reminded Lily of her mother back home. Lily shook her head and replied, "No, I didn't come from Zelena's time portal… and I'm not from the future. I'm from another universe… a parallel universe."

"Alright, that's enough," said Neal with complete disbelief as he reached for Lily's hand. He was fed up by the nonsense he was hearing and was convinced that she was unstable. Traveling between universes was not only impossible, but it completely defied the laws of magic and both he and Belle knew that. Even if it were possible, Neal didn't want to risk raising his hopes up over something wholly unbelievable. He had been hurt and broken for so long that he had no tolerance for foolishness and wild goose chases. "Time to go find your parents. Perhaps Dr. Whale has some extra space in his mental ward…"

Lily shook free from Neal's grip and stated assuredly, "But my parents _are_ here! Well… sort of."

"Who _are_ your parents?" Belle wondered.

"I told you already. Rumplestiltskin."

"And your _mother?_ " Belle pressed. At the question Lily averted her eyes and began to fidget with her fingers and twist her feet. In one brave breath Lily finally answered, but awkwardly, "… _you?_ "

" _Me?_ " Belle gasped in hopeful disbelief.

"But my Mum from _my_ universe. I deliberately chose this universe because in this universe," explained Lily to Belle as she turned to Neal and said, " _you_ exist… and I need you to come with me to my universe."

"What's wrong in your universe?" asked Belle.

"There's no magic and the only two people with magic are Papa and myself. I don't know how or why we do, but we do," answered Lily truthfully.

Belle grimaced over the idea of Rumplestiltskin being the only person in Storybrooke with magic. Belle suggested, "Surely my… counterpart- your mother, can help you both through this?"

"In my universe, the Vigilante doesn't want magic to exist in Storybrooke anymore. So long as Papa and I have magic, that person poses a threat to our existence, but maybe you can help," Lily said as she turned to Neal again.

"Look, kid-" began Neal but was quickly corrected by Lily, "-Lily!" Neal rolled his eyes and continued, "Lily, fine! Whatever! We've got enough problems in this universe as it is, and frankly I don't see any reason for me to leave here, in _my_ universe."

Lily pondered for a moment over the thought and quickly replied, "I have magic! Perhaps I can help you here so that you can come home with me and continue being the hero everyone says you are."

Neal turned to Belle with the look of, _are we really going along with what she's proposing?_ Belle was still gawking at Lily in curious awe, wondering of the life that could have been if she had a child with Rumplestiltskin and caught Neal looking at her oddly. In response, she closed her open mouth and shrugged her shoulders. The only thing that she could think to say was, "Well, this is a Pawn Shop… and it sounds like she just offered us a deal."

Neal turned to Lily and sized her up visually. Despite her short stature, she was truly living up to her words; and it was a tall order to take in. She looked just like a miniature version of Belle with the exception of her hazel eyes and their father's nose. Neal smiled at her, impressed by her boldness and fortitude. It was then that he finally realized she was telling the truth and because of that he believed her. "You really _are_ my sister, aren't you?"

"Yes," acknowledged Lily exhaustively as she rolled her eyes. Neal smirked, liking her by the moment. Now that doubt and distrust were out of the picture, he truly saw the traits Lily had inherited from both Belle and his father.

"I'd recognize that stubbornness anywhere. She _must_ be your daughter," noted Neal as he directed the comment to Belle. "Hey!" Belle replied taking insult to the correlation as she casually smacked his shoulder, but even she had to admit that she was stubborn at times so the comment wasn't completely inaccurate. Neal continued his observation, "and manipulative, like Papa. A deadly combination. Ok, I buy." Neal paced slowly around the shop as he tried to determine the next step to the negotiation. After a moment he asked, "So, you claim that I died a hero in your universe. How exactly did I die?"

"From what Papa said from my universe, you died shortly after Emma separated you. It was how Papa was able to tell Emma who the witch was and save Storybrooke."

" _Emma_ … Emma's alive in your universe?!" Neal said excitedly, his heart jumping to his throat.

"The timing of that kind of knowledge must have been critical in their universe," speculated Belle. Neal came forward to Lily, grabbing Lily firmly by the shoulders and asked, "What about Henry? Is Henry alive as well?"

"Yes, actually," confirmed Lily. The news hit Neal like a bombshell. He backed away from his sister, looking elsewhere to gather his thoughts as he rubbed the corners of his dry mouth.

"Is Zelena alive in your universe?" Belle asked Lily. Lily shook her head and said assuredly, "No."

"If that's the case, then that means they were able to somehow defeat Zelena," concluded Belle hopefully as she looked to Neal for his response.

"All of this happened before I was born, so I can't really say for certain what I was told was true," added Lily, figuring that every little detail mattered. With a gulp, Lily asked, "Is-is the witch alive here?"

"Yes, unfortunately," confirmed Neal somberly as he turned to glance at Lily. "…but she disappeared years ago when she couldn't get to my… _our_ father."

"What do you mean she _disappeared?_ How are _you_ still alive?" They were valid questions that begged answers for the precocious little girl. Answers, which Neal had to admit, needed explanation.

"I ask myself that question every day," Neal replied sarcastically, but his sarcasm was a front for all the horrors and sadness he had to live with since that day. "Emma was killed by Zelena," he said sadly. "She knew that only light magic would defeat her, so killing Emma was the first thing the witch did." He moved to the wall of the shop and picked up a random object to hold. He fidgeted with a porcelain teacup, hoping that by holding something in his hands he could distract himself from crying as he shared his story, "It wasn't long before she came after Henry and killed him too. Though, I think she only came after Henry to get at Regina, destroying whatever good that was left in her. If it wasn't for Regina's True Love's Kiss to Henry when he died, we all would have still been cursed. When Zelena realized that she needed my father to get an ingredient for a spell, she tried to separate us using dark magic. Obviously, it didn't work. She needed light magic to separate us and it wasn't until after she had killed Emma that she realized she had killed this town's only source for light magic. So she disappeared. No one really knows where to, but before she did she vowed that on her return she would fulfill her spell to go back in time and be the one to cast the Dark Curse."

"Ever since then, we've lived in fear," added Belle mournfully.

"Perhaps I _should_ leave. I really am the only reason why Zelena continues to threat and terrorizes this place," admitted Neal with despair.

"Neal…" Lily looked around the shop and realized something dreadful. "Neal, where's Papa?"

Neal looked up from the teacup and then sorrowfully back down at it as he replied, "He's still inside me."

"Wait, Papa is… Papa's… _inside you?_ " Lily asked trying to clarify what he was saying.

"That's what I've been trying to say. It's the reason why the witch hasn't returned. She hasn't been able to get to Papa to complete her time travel spell. That Jekyll-Hyde moment you saw earlier… we still share this body. Belle has been feeding me potions which seem to keep Papa at bay so that Zelena doesn't return. If I don't take the potion, I'm erratic and non-functional. In essence, we're useless. When Papa shows, he's manic and dissociative, like he's lost his mind. Zelena held him prisoner for a time, but discovered him useless when she discovered she had no control over him when using the Dark One dagger. In this body, Papa's powerless. At least… at least when I'm in control… we're still functional."

"Then that's how our two universes differ from each other," said Belle connecting the dots. "And… if that's the case, then everything up until that point where Emma died or… in your universe where Emma separated you… has been completely identical."

"Yeah, well, certainly the chain of events that followed thereafter have been different," mentioned Neal soberly. He turned to Lily and slapped his hands together. He was preparing himself to leave. "So, you want me to come back with you to your universe. Wait… doesn't that break like all the rules of magic, or science or… something?" Neal wondered out loud.

"Actually, although it is complicated magic, Lily being here is proof that it is possible. As far as breaking any laws of magic, I would say that as long as she doesn't exist in this world and you don't exist in her world that it would certainly be possible for you to go. It would be an equal exchange. However, whether or not there would still be a price for enacting the transfer is another question entirely, especially now since technically there would be two Rumplestiltskins coexisting in her universe. There's no telling what the adverse effects would be once you got there. Whatever you do in that universe, our Rumple cannot stay there for long. You both must return," theorized Belle.

"Well, at least that much I can promise you," swore Neal. Belle turned to Lily and addressed her with a maternal look, "Lily…"

Lily turned attentively to Belle. Belle lowered herself, coming close to Lily and placed two caring hands on the young girl's shoulders. Belle looked deeply into Lily's hazel eyes and saw Rumple. Belle quickly gasped at the recognition but then proceeded with what she wanted to say. "I may be an alternate version of your mother but if I were her, not only would I be extremely concerned about you venturing on your own like this, but I would want to know about… well, all of this when you return. Assuming that you are your father's child, you came here unaccompanied and without telling anybody. Am I right?" Lily nodded to confirm Belle's assumptions. "Promise me you'll tell your parents the moment you go back home to your universe."

Lily nodded as she assured, "I promise."

Despite this Belle not being her actual mother from her universe, Lily treated her disappointment as if her mother was actually the one delivering the message. Since the Belle of this universe was so similar to her mother, Lily knew based off of the incredible guilt she was feeling now that she would be expecting even more guilt and grief when she told her parents upon her return. Lily dreaded having the inevitable conversation at home, but out of respect for this Belle's request, Lily decided that telling her parents was the least she could do. Lily turned to Neal and asked, "Are you ready to leave? Would you need to bring any medicine, or potions with you?"

Neal turned to Belle and said with a look of regret, "I… I need to go." Seeing that it was a tender moment between the two, Lily stepped away from them and gave them space as they got their affairs in order. She moved to the opposite end of the shop looking at the trinkets as they said their farewells.

"I know," understood Belle with a sad smile as she held Neal's hand. He placed his hand amicably over hers as he faced her.

"Perhaps Emma, or my Papa, or even the Belle of that universe can figure out how to defeat Zelena. They did it before. Maybe they can do it again. I've got to know how. This could be my only chance to save us-" Neal tried to justify his leaving to Belle. Their friendship spoke volumes to Neal, especially after all they had been through. For the past eight years they had survived by each other trying to live as best they could despite their horrible circumstances. No more reasons needed to be said because for the first time in years a hopeful opportunity finally presented itself to them. Belle lifted a gentle hand over Neal's mouth to stop him from speaking. She shook her head and directed simply, "Go."

Tears swelled in his eyes as he brought her hands to his lips and kissed them. "Papa and I will return. I promise."

A tear escaped from the corner of Belle's eye as she quickly gathered more potion vials for Neal to take with him on his journey. "This should be enough to give you time to figure out how to defeat Zelena. Oh, and don't forget your lucky pen." Belle reached behind her and grabbed an antique dipping pen and handed it over to Neal.

"Thank you," said Neal gratefully as he pocketed the vials and slipped the pen into his front shirt pocket. He turned to Lily and addressed, "Alright. I think that's everything. Are _you_ ready?"

"Mmhm," she said as she pulled out Cogsworth.

"Alright, let's do this," exhaled Neal nervously. He shook himself loose to calm his nerves as he asked, "So how does this thing work, anyways?"

"Well, I ask Cogsworth…"

" _Cogsworth?_ " scoffed Neal. "You named the watch, Cogsworth?"

"Well, _I_ didn't name the watch," declared Lily defiantly.

"Why is that funny?" Belle wondered.

"Nothing. It just reminded me of a movie. That's all," smirked Neal. Despite the interruption, Lily continued with her explanation. "…So I ask Cogsworth to tell us where to go and then I turn the arm a quarter-turn to the left."

" _That's it?_ Seems simple enough I suppose," said Neal as he gazed at the pocket-watch in Lily's hand. Lily looked up at Neal to see if he was ready. Seeing that everyone was looking to her to proceed she whispered to the watch, " _Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious_." Nothing happened, which Lily thought was odd, but then dismissed it as she took Neal's hand. Perhaps the spell only needed to be spoken once. With his hand in hers she said to the pocket-watch more audibly, "Cogsworth, please take Neal and I back home to my universe in Storybrooke."

Lily moved the watch's big hand a quarter-turn to the left with her thumb and again nothing happened. No spark. No brilliant glow. Neal looked around expecting something to happen and said to break the awkward obviousness, "Well… things do certainly look the same in your universe."

With a furrowed brow and confused look, Lily exclaimed in frustration, "It didn't work!"

"What do you mean, _it didn't work_? Was that exactly how you were able to come to our world?" asked Belle with concern.

"I don't understand. There's magic here and I used my mum's Impossible Possible spell. It should have worked!" said Lily with frustration.

"Woah, wait a minute. Are you saying that in your universe… _I have magic?_ " wondered Belle out of shock. The revelation over the implication was incredibly profound. Neal turned to Lily letting go of her hand and asked, "What is this Impossible Possible spell?"

At first Lily didn't know where to begin and for a moment was caught speechless. In fear of revealing too much Lily answered, "Grandmother is a very powerful person… I suppose the spell was only meant for you to use." Lily quickly reverted back to frustration as she asked rhetorically, "But then why did it work for me the first time? It should have worked!" Suddenly Lily's eyes lit up as she thought of an idea and glanced around the shop. Almost eerily she shared her intentions with the rest of the group, "I need more power."

" _Grandmother?_ " gasped Belle.

" _More power?_ Now I know you're my sister," remarked Neal.

Belle supposed that Lily had to be referring to her mother unless somehow Lily had a deeper connection to Rumplestiltskin's mother in her universe. If there was any doubt as to Lily's relation with Rumplestiltskin, her statement only confirmed it as both Belle and Neal recognized what _Needing Power_ meant and glanced at each other worriedly. Lily began walking around the shop looking for something with enough magic to supply their trip back and both Belle and Neal tried to caution her against it.

"It's ok. If it doesn't work, then it doesn't work. Perhaps it wasn't meant to be," Neal said disappointedly.

"Perhaps there's another way," offered Belle as she proposed her speculations. "Perhaps the spell is time-sensitive and is exhausted after a single use. Or perhaps it's like what you said and it was only supposed to be casted… by me." Belle didn't think she was magical, or at least she didn't believe herself to be magical. All of her experiences told her that she didn't have a magical bone in her body, but then this little girl arrived claiming to be her daughter from another universe. Belle shook her head dismissing the notion. Time was of the essence and she couldn't linger on the thought of her magical abilities. "There's no way to know for certain unless we know the nature of the spell itself."

"Perhaps my father might know," suggested Neal seriously which made both Lily and Belle pause what they were doing.

"I thought you said that since Papa was inside you he wouldn't be able to help…" Lily started to say when suddenly she saw an object in the display case in front of her that caught her eye. It was same necklace she had found in her father's overcoat jacket that upstarted her magic initially, but in this universe the stone was a brilliant emerald green not amethyst. Thinking that it would give her the boost she needed, Lily figured it would be enough to send them back to her universe. Without asking for permission she quickly reached into the display case and pulled out the jewelry, startling the two adults in the room as they both gasped, "Woah! Be careful!"

"In my world," Lily began to explain as she inspected the object that was now dangling in her hands, "this object was what gave me magic."

"Do you even know what that object is?! You of all people should know that this shop is full of objects with dark magic," Neal pointed out quickly.

"I know what this is," understood Lily, but her blithe assurance still didn't give either Belle or Neal any comfort. "It's Zelena's necklace." She knew immediately what she held in her hands based off of the vision she had a year ago.

"Why does that not make me feel any better?" Neal remarked rhetorically out loud.

"I don't think you should use it. Who knows what dangers may still come from it?" cautioned Belle. Lily turned to Belle and replied, "You said that the witch hasn't returned because Neal and Papa are still attached to each other, right? Well, so long as Neal and Papa are together, the witch won't have any reason to return."

"Yes, but what you're using is extremely dark magic," warned Belle as she gently took the necklace away from Lily. "Zelena may not be around but her magic still lingers. It may not be wise to use any of her things unless you fully understand what it is you're working with. Zelena is incredibly dangerous and despite Rumple being the Dark One she still somehow managed to imprison your father with the Dark One dagger which is, I might add, still in her possession. Look, nothing good can come from using this. Let us try and find another way."

"Well, she is the daughter of the Dark One. Perhaps her magic is compatible. It could work," encouraged Neal as he took back the necklace from Belle and handed it back to Lily. "If her magic did the impossible and got her to another universe, then I trust that she knows a way back."

Neal's faith in Lily warmed her heart and gave her the confidence to try again. "Thank you Neal," said Lily gratefully as she placed the necklace around her neck. She looked down at the emerald stone that dangled before her and gently touched it with her forefinger. Almost instantly, a brilliant green glow began to pulsate like a heartbeat. The pendent began vibrating in her hand as Lily looked up to both Belle and Neal with gleeful satisfaction. She could feel the additional boost of power resonate within her body.

"I take it, that it's working," asked Belle who was unsure as to what she was watching.

"Try it again," encouraged Neal as he placed a hand on his sister's shoulder. "You've got this. I know it," he said with an assuring smile. Lily nodded as she repeated the same incantation. Before she uttered the last syllable to the spell a bright green light flashed like lightening and it embodied the watch. Lily looked to Neal one last time and then over Belle as she said, "Cogsworth, please take Neal and I back to my universe in Storybrooke."

A beacon of orange and green light filled the room and was so bright that it nearly blinded Belle. Instinctively, Belle closed her eyes and when she opened them again both Neal and Lily were gone. Lily was successful after all.

* * *

 **Thank you to Grace5231973, Princess Milly, Actress10, and ladybugsmomma for your reviews for last chapter! In regards to Roland being the Vigilante, in my mind the natural progression for him in my story's universe was for him to go rogue. Based off of the first installment I wrote in "Lily", Robin ended up breaking up with Marian and in the second installment "The Author" Robin ends up marrying Regina. I tried to imagine where that left poor Roland in the crazy mix. What was that like for him growing up? What was it like staying with his mom who viewed Regina and Robin in a harsher light? I merely imagined that after hearing his mother spout anti-magic rhetoric for years, he probably became convinced into believing the same thing as well.**

 **Unfortunately, in my universe Marian doesn't get a fair shake and as a result she becomes a bitter woman towards both Robin and Regina. If I were Marian in my story, heartbroken over a love lost to an (once) evil woman with magic and everything, I would naturally begin to compare myself to Regina. What does she have that I don't have that was worthy of a breakup? And what's the one outstanding thing that Regina has that Marian doesn't have? Magic. So that's why Marian takes her aggressions out on magic. Roland is just the product of his environment. So throughout the years of growing up and listening to his mother, Roland probably agreed with her viewpoints on magic and then took it a step further with the vandalism.**

 **For clarity's sake, Roland doesn't hate Lily he just doesn't like magic. He genuinely liked her when he knew she didn't have magic, but things changed when he saw her wielding it outside of Henry's shop. Roland likes Lily just fine, but as long as she carries magic it'll be difficult for them to remain friends. Obviously, it's complicated. I'm sorry if that was the impression you guys had of him. Roland really is a good guy! I think his time spent in juvenile-jail will allow him to think about what he's done and I'm sure future interactions and conversations with Regina (since she is his stepmother) he'll see that magic isn't all bad. I'm confident his viewpoints will change over time. I basically wanted to showcase in this story that Roland grows up to be rebellious, but I wouldn't expect anything less from the son of Robin Hood. Thanks for reading! See you guys next chapter!**


	16. An Unprecedented Reunion & Resurrection

"Where and when was the last time you saw it?" questioned Mr. Gold as he searched high and low with Henry in the Pawn Shop for the magical device.

"It's not like I've been retracing my steps all night grandpa. I swear I had it when I was in the shop here yesterday!" claimed Henry. Unlike Gold who was still upright looking through various shelves, Henry was crawling on all fours looking underneath the cabinetry for the watch.

Gold then moved over to a high-end dresser and pulled out a drawer, sifting hopelessly through the items knowing full-well that it wouldn't be there. After recalling yesterday's conversation with Henry, he pushed the drawer back in and asked, "Didn't you go on a date yesterday evening?"

"Yes, I went out on a date with Paige yesterday, but I scoured every square inch of that restaurant before leaving to come here and look."

"Is it possible that she could have taken it for herself?" posed Mr. Gold suspiciously. The question stopped Henry in his search as he stood up to address his grandfather's insinuation and defend Paige's honor.

"No!" cried out Henry offensively. Henry couldn't believe what his grandfather was implicating. "She couldn't have taken it! She wouldn't have! Paige has no interest in magic. Besides, after my careful inspection of the restaurant, I'm sure I owe Tony for the anxiety I put him through."

"If you say so," said Mr. Gold while keeping his thoughts to himself, "but just so you know, love makes us blind to the things our hearts don't wish to see. Believe me, I know this from personal experience."

Just as Gold finished his sentence Belle returned to the shop. "Rumple! Lily has magic!"

Both Gold and Henry turned to Belle with matching worried looks. "How is that possible? You enacted your mother's Impossible Possible spell."

"I did, but the source to my mother's magic is powered by children's belief in her. My casting the spell was only one part to it. I just came back from visiting Elsa and…," Belle held back revealing Elsa's secret and instead said, "… she said that Children of Magic can be extremely powerful… and if left unchecked or untrained can lead to chaotic or catastrophic consequences. It's still a mystery to me as to why I never experienced anything like this before, but I intend on seeing my parents to see if they can help explain that. Anyways, Lily is a child of magic. It's like what Henry said, isn't it too much of a coincidence for Henry's pocket-watch to go missing right when our daughter disappears?"

"You think Lily has Cogsworth?" asked Henry.

Belle nodded and replied, "I believe so."

Just as Belle proposed her theory the Pawn Shop's bell jingled and Killian and Emma entered the Pawn Shop. "Henry," Emma said addressing her son directly, "tell me the truth. Besides your pocket-watch, is there magic in Storybrooke?"

"That's exactly what we're trying to figure out here, Ms. Swan," answered Gold to Emma. Belle came forward and explained their predicament, "Both Cogsworth and Lily have gone missing."

"Who could blame the child? I'd run away too, if given the chance. You spend so much of your 'retired' time in Henry's shop, it's no wonder she was able to slip past you," antagonized Killian.

"First of all, what I choose to do with my time is none of your business," retorted Mr. Gold coldly. He continued, getting angrier by the moment, "Second, you know nothing about raising children and spending centuries in Neverland with Lost children does not make you an expert. Lastly, unless you're here to wrongfully accuse me of something I didn't do… _again_ , I suggest you both turn right back around and leave before you embarrass yourselves with having insufficient evidence to back your incredulous claims."

"Children ran away to Neverland to escape neglectful parents such as yourself! This is now twice that your children have run away from you. I would say that this trend is more than coincidental," defended Killian with a vexing look.

Just when the tension began to mount between the two, the Pawn Shop's doorbell rang out again and in the threshold entered both Lily and Neal Cassidy. Everyone in the shop stopped what they were doing and turned. With absolute shock, silence fell upon everyone in the shop and everyone's mouths hung open. Seeing both Lily and Neal standing there stunned everyone out of words as they both hesitantly and slowly entered the shop. Nothing was said as Neal and Lily got closer to everyone in the shop. Awkwardly, Lily tried to break the silence by introducing Neal, "Everyone, this is my brother. N-"

"-Neal!" finished Emma. "How?! What?! But you're dead!"

"Um, nope. Hi," said Neal Cassidy sheepishly as he waved and smiled embarrassedly to the group.

"Lily! _Where have you been?! What have you done?!_ " exclaimed Belle who was still appalled by what she was seeing. "Explain yourself!" demanded Gold angrily to his daughter.

Remembering what she had promised to the Belle from Neal's universe, Lily nervously explained herself as she fidgeted, "I-I… Well, you see, I have magic now and-and I took Cogsworth to bring Neal back here from another universe..."

" _Another universe?! You're from another universe?_ " questioned Emma incredulously as she looked to Neal Cassidy. "That's impossible!"

"That's-that's how I was able to get him here. Grandmother's Impossible-," Lily tried to explain further, but her voice was drowned out by the other adults in the room.

"Well, clearly it is possible since he's standing in front of us," said Henry pointing out the obvious. Thinking back to the journal he read he concluded, "if Lily can visit other universes in her dreams, then what's to say that she couldn't do so with her magic in reality. And as you pointed out Belle," Henry said turning to Belle in the room, "she is a child of magic. Her magic transcends everyone's in this room."

"And you thought that following a little girl into another universe was a good idea?" questioned Belle to Neal. Neal looked like he was about to explain his reasons, but was immediately cut off by Lily who managed to raise her voice above the conversation.

"Am I- _Am I grounded?_ " wondered Lily, sensing the displeasure of everyone in the room. This was not how she expected everyone to react to Neal's arrival.

"To say the least," claimed Gold swiftly and assuredly. "Hand over your book bag to me. As far as I'm concerned you are grounded till the end of time."

"None of you understand what I'm trying to do here, or what it is that I'm going through!" yelled Lily defiantly as she threw her book bag down before them. "Neal is the only person that truly understands me here and is the only person everyone will listen to."

"Lily that's not true," Belle pleaded to her daughter as Lily started to back away from the group. Lily continued, "It was Papa's magical necklace that woke up my magic and I believe it was for a reason. To bring Neal back. Look, I know you won't listen to me, but please listen to Neal. Help him. He's the hero everyone wants and needs. Not me. I'm not a hero. He's the one that's going to save us all from ourselves. He's going to bring us closer together!"

"Lily… what are you-" wondered Mr. Gold, but before he could finish his question Lily disappeared in a cloud of magical smoke. Everyone stood dumbfounded again, but this time the silence didn't last for long.

"I guess that explains how Lily gained her magic," said Henry. "It was only dormant."

Belle turned to her husband and gave him a scathing look. " _You_ have magic and you gave it to our _daughter?!_ " she questioned accusatively. Gold gathered his daughter's book bag and stared briefly at the vacant spot where his daughter once stood.

"Correction, _we_ have magic and she inherited magic from the both of us. She never lost it to begin with. It's as you said. She's a child of magic so it was only a matter of time. And whether you want to admit it or not, you're a child of magic too," pointed out Gold.

"I was only able to cast my mother's Impossible Possible spell. I was never predisposed to magic and I certainly didn't carry around charmed jewelry filled with dark magic for our daughter to find. Why couldn't you have told me you had magic?"

"He didn't think you believed in magic," interrupted Henry to Belle and suddenly everyone turned, bringing the focus of attention to him. "Go on grandpa. Tell her."

"Tell me what? Are you saying you knew this entire time too?" Belle said disappointedly to Henry. "Boy, you're just as bad as he is for keeping secrets."

"Henry, how long have you know that Gold had magic?" asked Emma.

"We were going to return magic to Storybrooke," confessed Gold. "And the reason why I didn't want to tell you Belle, was because you wanted to have what we had in New York. You wanted it so badly that you went through with Mary's Impossible Possible spell just to have it, but that was not what I wanted. You never even bothered to ask what I had wanted, but that's beside the point. What you need to accept, is that just like you, magic will always be part of Storybrooke. Belle, as much as you fight it, you are magical too."

"Yes, well, thanks to you now we have no way of tracking or finding our daughter," replied Belle.

"If your spell got rid of Storybrooke's magic, but Lily was still somehow able to perform magic, then Lily's magic is nothing like we've ever encountered before," concluded Emma.

"Woah, suddenly I-suddenly I-I don't feel so…" Neal Cassidy began to say as he swayed where he stood and suddenly collapsed to the floor. In unison everyone called out to him, "Neal!" as both Emma and Gold clamored after him to the floor. When Emma went to the floor to support his head she suddenly found that she couldn't as Neal fluctuated in and out of existence.

"What's happening to him?" cried out Henry, but his question was quickly answered as Neal's body morphed in between himself and the Rumplestiltskin from his universe. The moment Mr. Gold saw this, he knew exactly what was going on and backed away. "This Neal is from another alternate universe and in his universe we still cohabit the same body. That's why we're seeing what we're seeing. There cannot be two Rumplestiltskins coexisting in the same universe," explained Gold.

"One is already too much as it is," quipped Killian.

"Take your jabs now, because if we still cohabit the same body, then that could only mean one thing, in his universe Emma never separated us. And if that's the case, then it doesn't bode well for us because if it means what I think it means, then it means that Zelena still exists in his universe and then two of me existing will be the least of your concerns," retorted Gold as he moved forward to feel through his son's pockets.

"What are you doing?" asked Belle as she looked down at Neal over her husband's shoulders. From within his front pocket, Gold pulled out a vial, but then noticed another curious item -an antique dipping pen in the same pocket. The Author's pen. Gold made a small gasp at the observation. An unexpected surprise. Did Neal know of the pen's power? Gold wouldn't put it past his son to want assurances. He wanted his dagger in Neverland to ensure their safety against him, so why not this pen? Without alarming everyone in the room Gold kept his mouth shut and mentally noted the observation for later.

Perhaps Neal didn't know about the Author's pen. Gold fought against the urge to grab it right then and there, but knew he was being watched unscrupulously. No doubt they would want to destroy the pen right away and so he decided to withhold his observation until he had the item in his possession. Already he had alternative plans for the pen's power and didn't want to let others in on his intentions. Rumple would share his discovery, except that none of them, including Henry, would understand what he was trying to do. At least not yet, anyways. Patience was key to his plan. _You know where it is_ , he told himself. _Have patience._

With the vial still in his hands he uncorked the potion and sniffed its contents, recognizing the liquid immediately. Without gaining permission from anybody in the room he went ahead and poured the contents into his son's mouth. As he did so, he explained, "Knowing my son, he'd never venture somewhere without being prepared. I believe he's fully aware of his condition, hence the multiple vials in all of his pockets. He had to have known the risks prior to his arrival. This," he said as he showed the vial to the rest of the group, "is The Potion of Enlightenment. What it does is call forth your best self to think optimally and clearly and in his case, to help bring forth Neal into focus over the utilization of the body."

Neal didn't stir right away and while they waited for him to react, Emma asked out loud, "Wait… I was the one that separated you two eight years ago and it was the Dark Curse's trade that killed him and saved you. If I hadn't separated you two, then nobody would have known about Zelena. Why would I allow Neal to continue living this way? What the hell happened to me in his universe?"

"You died," answered Neal as he slowly sat up in place and rubbed his head, "and in my universe, Zelena still lives."

"Zelena's alive?! What were you hoping to accomplish by coming with our daughter into our universe?" Belle asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I was hoping to see if there was a way to destroy Zelena. When Lily told me she didn't exist here, I had to find out how. I came… because I wanted to see both Emma and Henry again. You see, in my universe, you both were killed by the Wicked Witch. After Zelena killed both Emma and Henry, whatever hope there was in defeating the witch was lost. Zelena made her grand stand and then disappeared when she realized she couldn't separate us. She needed light magic to separate my father and I, and by killing both Emma and Henry it killed all of Storybrooke's light magic along with it. So she disappeared and vowed to return once she could separate my father and I. Regina was distraught over the loss of Henry and did everything she could to find Zelena going insane and losing herself in the process. Belle, or the Belle from my universe… she and I did everything we could to research a way, but for years we found nothing." Suddenly, Neal's frown turned into a brief smile as he said, "Lily arriving in our universe was the only shred of hope we've had in years." Neal turned and looked at both Henry and Emma. "And knowing that you guys were alive and successful in defeating the witch, I had to take the chance and come." said Neal.

"I'm going to see my mother. Perhaps she can _truthfully_ give us some answers and provide us a way to find our daughter," said Belle indignantly to Gold as she proceeded to leave the shop.

"Let me come with you, perhaps your mother can help me find a way to destroy the witch in my world," said Neal as he slowly stood up to follow after her. "Who is she, by the way? Your counterpart in my universe rarely spoke of her."

Belle was almost to the Pawn Shop's door when she turned around and answered with a sigh, "Mary Poppins."

"Woah, really?" remarked Neal in awe.

"It's a long story," replied Belle as she left the shop.

"We're coming with you as well," addressed Emma on behalf of Killian and herself as they followed Belle out the door too. "I have a lot of questions that need answers and I don't think I'm going to find any of them here." Emma glanced over at Gold and Henry, but was mostly at Henry. She was hurt and disappointed that he didn't tell her about his grandfather's magic sooner. Ever since his possession by the Author, Emma's trust in her son wavered. And now that she knew he was keeping secrets, she became even more guarded of him and made it a note to be more cautious of him too from now on.

Neal allowed Emma and Killian to leave the shop before him and right when he was about to follow after them, Gold placed a caring hand on his shoulder and stopped him. Seeing that it got his attention, Gold hesitantly withdrew his grasp and said mournfully, "For what it's worth, it is good to see you again."

Neal smiled bringing Rumplestiltskin in close for a hug and replied, "It's good to see you beside me."

"We'll figure something out, Dad," said Henry as he came forward. Neal pulled apart from Gold and turned to Henry. Neal looked like he was about to cry as he brought Henry in for a hug. They held each other for a little bit and as they pulled away, Henry clarified, "I mean, in regards to separating you and other grandpa."

"That doesn't matter to me anymore. What makes coming here all worth it is seeing you alive," he said as he brushed a tear away and rubbed the top of Henry's head, "and seeing you happy. I'll be back soon. Perhaps with the combined powers of Belle and Emma they can find a way to solve all of this."

Everyone left the shop except for Henry and Gold. Seeing that they were by themselves again, Henry asked his grandfather, "Do you think Belle will forgive you?"

Gold didn't respond right away as he slowly turned away from the door. He saw Lily's book bag still on the floor and came forward to pick it up. As he picked it up he said, "Only time will tell. I hope so." With Lily's book bag in hand he turned around and faced Henry. "My wife can be very forgiving, but believe it or not she can also disguise her grudges well. Like all women, beneath their kind exterior is a certain kind of power. A power that no man can ever have. I think I've only been living on borrowed time because Belle doesn't realize the kind of power she has over me. And I think the moment she realizes that, we're all doomed."

From within the depths of the book bag's outside mesh pocket Gold spotted Cogsworth. A mischievous smirk grew on his face as he withdrew the watch and commanded swiftly, "Cogsworth, take me to my Dark Castle."

Henry was only a few feet away from his grandfather, but he knew exactly what was happening and reacted quickly. Simultaneously, Henry's eyes widened and lunged forward to grab his grandfather. As he did so, Gold quickly popped open the pocket-watch cover, tapped its face three times and turned the hand a quarter-turn to the left. In a flash that briefly filled the Pawn Shop, the two men disappeared from the shop and reappeared in the ruins of Rumplestiltskin's Dark Castle.

When the cloud of enchanted smoke cleared, Henry let go of his grandfather and exclaimed, " _What the hell, Grandpa?!_ "

With Lily's book bag still hooked around Gold's arm he strode over to the incredibly dusty long table in the middle of the room and sat the bag down. The room was large and musty, with random objects and armor covered in cobwebs. It was the main hall where Rumplestiltskin used to conduct the majority of his deals. With Gold's back towards Henry, he said, "Forgive me Henry, I saw the opportunity and I seized the moment." The book bag was curiously heavy in his arm and he unzipped the main zipper to inspect the contents inside. As soon as he saw what was inside a gratified smile broke out on his face.

Angrily, Henry shouted, "Forgiveness comes when you actually regret what you've actually done! I don't think you truly understand what forgiveness is to tell you the truth. You take things without asking, overpowering people in the process and have a complete disregard to authority!"

"Authority isn't power, Henry. Authority is a false construct people make up for themselves who don't have any power. Magic… now that's real power. As people we merely choose to respect certain boundaries. I, however, chose to respect boundaries until a better opportunity presents itself, which it did. And for the record," he said while he deposited Cogsworth into one of the front pockets of Lily's bag, "I did ask to come here. I have asked and waited patiently for weeks adhering to all the demands that, by M.T.A. law, were asked of me. In fact, I have even asked the conductor of the Magical Transport Authority to travel… and that's _you_ , isn't it?"

With a loud zip, he zipped up the main bag and made his point. After a sideways glance towards Henry, he left the bag and Henry at the table and strolled over to the large cabinet on the wall of the main hall. Henry stood there dumbstruck and offended, stewing in how he had been taken advantage of. He watched his grandfather pull out the necklace with the dark amethyst stone and wave his hand over what appeared to be a vacant wall space. The void rippled into shape and another closet appeared.

Despite how twisted Gold's perspective was over their situation, he wasn't wrong and Henry knew it, but Henry still felt the need to make his point clear to his grandfather, "No matter what you say, what you did here still wasn't right. It wasn't legal!"

"Your reluctant invitation here and objection has been noted," replied Gold as he glimpsed over his shoulder to his grandson by the mysterious cabinet. Accepting the fact that they were now there in the Enchanted Forest, Henry's continuance in their argument was pointless. Henry could have taken Cogsworth back right then and there and escape back to Storybrooke, but he would have returned empty handed and without his grandfather. By returning to Storybrooke immediately he would have left his grandfather stranded in this world and he knew he couldn't do that. So he looked on at his grandfather who was shifting through items on the shelf of the mysterious cabinet and said in a disgruntled huff, "So what nefarious thing are you planning now? Or are you just not going to tell me this either?"

"I already told you of my intentions," said Gold as he unearthed a small long box from the back of the cabinet wall. "I'm bringing back magic with me."

"But how are you…" began Henry as he was stunned yet again by what he was seeing. While Henry spoke, Gold opened the box and withdrew the Dark One Kriss dagger. "That's your dagger from when you were cursed! But you're not cursed anymore… so why did you come all this way for it?"

" _For power, of course…_ " said another voice from behind them in the room. Both Henry and Gold turned at the sound and were surprised to see a cloud of emerald green smoke swirl out of Lily's back pack. The green smoke took shape into a body and as it did so the distorted female voice continued, " _but I wouldn't expect anything less from Rumplestiltskin_." The smoke cleared and before them stood…

"…Zelena," said Harry and Rumple simultaneously.

" 'ello boys," greeted Zelena with a sinister smile. For a moment Henry forgot that they were in the Enchanted Forest and Zelena's green skin caught him off-guard. Her shade of green glowed in such a way that Henry had never seen, and the Witches he had seen portraying her in movies did it no justice. "Well, go on. Ask me. Aren't you the least bit curious as to how I'm here?"

"The thought had crossed my mind," admitted Rumple, but he could tell that her pompous question was masking her actual disorientation. It was a gamble on her end to extrapolate information while appearing in control, but in all actuality she genuinely had no idea how she got there. "But I imagine that my curious daughter brought back more than just her older brother."

"Your daughter…?" she repeated back, but her voice indicated confusion rather than confirmation as she made her way back to the table with Lily's back pack. The moment Zelena took Lily's book bag into her possession both Henry and Rumple stiffened in place. She returned to the bag to search for totem but instead found a pocket-watch in the front pocket. Sensing her residual magic on the watch, she assumed that this was how she was transported to the Enchanted Forest and felt its great power. When she withdrew the item, she glanced up curiously over at Rumplestiltskin and Henry and saw their tense positions. They must have arrived recently and noted as she twirled the watch carelessly before them, "Curious, you _do_ look different here Rumple. Your skin doesn't have that usual sparkly charm. Now why is that?"

"He's no longer cursed as the Dark One anymore," answered Henry.

"I see you've managed to accomplish a lot in my absence. Like being stupid and fathering another child. Tsk! Tsk. Unbelievable. Whatever Belle sees in you I will never know, but what I doubt more so than that is that you, Rumple, would choose to give up your power as the Dark One," observed Zelena.

"When you have a family, you make great sacrifices for their happiness. Something in which you still no nothing about," retorted Rumplestiltskin.

"Ugh! Family has only made you weaker," replied Zelena in disgust. Zelena looked down at the dagger that was in Rumple's hand and remarked, "But I see you're still up to old habits. Glad to see that part of you is still consistent. Curious… _and you_ ," she said turning to Henry, "Aren't you supposed to be dead? I thought I killed you. Oh well, it doesn't matter anyways. We shall see if you're telling the truth." Zelena withdrew a similar Dark One dagger from her side, the cursed dagger from her universe, and brandished it boldly in front of Rumplestiltskin. "Rumplestiltskin, I command you to kill your grandson!"

Rumplestiltskin stood completely still and merely glanced over at Henry as he replied, "As you can see, my grandson speaks the truth. I regret to inform you, but you are no longer in your universe Zelena."

" _What?_ " snapped Zelena back furiously with the look of utter befuddlement. She then looked down at the peculiar device in her possession. When she looked up, both Henry and Rumplestiltskin's eyes were fixated on the watch and immediately sensed their anxiety for it as it swung in her hand. "This timepiece has my magic all over it and I placed a magical vow to reawaken when Rumplestiltskin was no longer attached to his son's dead body." It was then that she realized that everything Rumplestiltskin had been saying was true.

" _This_ … is a realm traveling device… and your only way home, isn't it?" stated Zelena correctly as she inspected it further. She looked up from the watch and said, "That would certainly explain your Storybrooke attire and the sad looks on your faces." With a sinister smile she looked at the two men and confidently continued, "You both need this to get back home. Well that's definitely not going to happen." She snorted with laughter as she looked about the room, swinging the watch in one hand and holding Lily's book bag with the other.

"The Rumplestiltskin you want is still trapped in his son's body, and _that_ Rumplestiltskin is still cursed as the Dark One. Is that not what you are after?" suggested Rumplestiltskin.

"Yes… but why are you here?" wondered Zelena out loud. "If you used my dark magic to get here, then you really must have been desperate."

"Yes," Rumple admitted reluctantly, but he continued on, redirecting the conversation away from himself. "The Dark One you're after is strolling around Storybrooke as we speak. I'm afraid that I'm not the one you want, dearie."

"That's fine. I'll just take your enchanted little timepiece and leave you both behind," she mentioned as she lifted the watch to prepare to leave.

"You'll be arriving in a land without magic," warned Rumplestiltskin to Zelena.

"We came to this castle to find a way to bring back magic. That's why we're here. So when you arrive to search for my father you'll be pretty useless there because there won't magic when you arrive," added Henry.

"But it took magic to arrive here. If there is no magic in Storybrook as you say, then how come you're standing here before me in your Dark Castle of all places in the Enchanted Forest."

"My daughter is incredibly powerful and prior to our arrival here she had gone to an alternate universe, your universe, to bring her older brother back with her. Somehow and for some reason, she took your necklace thinking it would give her enough magic to leave your universe." An idea instantly popped into Gold's head and he withdrew his own pendent identical to Zelena's but with a purple stone. "I'll make you a deal, though," he said as he showed the enchanted jewelry to her. "This is your necklace from my universe. In this universe, I killed you," he said proudly as Zelena scoffed, "but you left this lovely piece behind. There was still magic when you died, but up till a year ago, my wife placed a spell over the town, removing all of Storybrooke's magic."

"Your _wife?_ The _bookworm?_ The bookworm has _magic?_ That's unlikely," remarked Zelena incredulously as she folded her arms across her chest. She paused a moment to gauge both Henry and Rumple's faces to see if they were joking and saw that they weren't. She scoffed out of disbelief as she replied, "I must really be in another universe then if that's the case. It is far more likely for me to believe that you had killed me than it is for me to believe that _that_ pathetic girl somehow has magic."

Rumplestiltskin cringed at Zelena's blatant derision of Belle, but he fought back his anger and instinct to strangle her as he replied coolly, "Well believe it or not, it is all true. Go ahead. Take Cogsworth and leave us behind, but I guarantee you'll be wanting this." He dangled his necklace in front of her and offered it to her, "This is all the magic I have left that I was able to protect from Belle's spell. I believe you'll find it suitable to accomplish whatever it is you need to do in our universe."

"Grandpa-!" interrupted Henry who came forward to stop him. Henry knew what the repercussions were to giving Zelena magic. He was giving Zelena the means to have his own father killed again and Henry wouldn't stand for it. Not again. " _What are you doing?!_ "

When Henry came forward to his grandfather aggressively, Rumplestiltskin placed a caring and firm hand on his chest to stop him. Zelena cheekily remarked, "Stay out of this child. The adults are speaking."

Rumplestilskin continued negotiating, "In return, I get to keep my daughter's book bag." Zelena looked suspiciously back and forth from the book bag to Rumple. He continued, "I'm a sentimental man. It's why I collect so many things."

"But your family is in Storybrooke. You have no other means of getting there without this watch," she said as she dangled the pocket-watch in front of them.

"I'm also a creative man. It took a curse to get to Storybrooke but I believe that the magic here grew with interest in my absence here. It may take some time, but I'll find a way. I always find a way," said Rumplestiltskin with determination. Zelena was wavering in her response to which Rumple saw as his cue to incentivize the proposition. "Careful dearie, every minute you dawdle, the heroes are that much closer in separating my son from my counterpart. When that happens my counterpart will surely find a way to destroy you, whether it be in this universe or the next. He's still the Dark One… with magic, and believe me, knowing myself I _will_ find a way to kill you."

What Gold and Henry had been saying so far was true, which convinced Zelena that Rumple's statement and proposal over her circumstances were also true. "Fine," she agreed and they traded. She threw the book bag right at Henry's face, which Henry caught awkwardly while Rumple tossed his pendent to her. The moment she caught the jewelry, she waved her hand over Cogsworth and the hands of the watch spun wildly. She became engulfed in a brilliant green cloud and cackled over her evil accomplishment. When the magical cloud disappeared a residual echo of her laughter filled the room until that too faded away.

"Now that she's gone, let me explain what I'm doing before we become rudely interrupted again," said Rumplestiltskin to Henry as he removed the book bag from him and walked over to long table again.

"You just gave Zelena a way to kill my father -your son! How could you?!" exclaimed Henry.

"Listen boy," Rumple said as he directed the dagger that was still in his hand at Henry to emphasize his irritation. "If you weren't so preoccupied with criticizing me and had instead learned to trust me, you would have seen what it was that I was trying to do." To Henry's surprise, Gold pulled out another necklace similar to what he had just handed over to Zelena from within his pocket and placed it on the table next to Lily's book bag.

"Another one?" Henry asked completely confused.

"Yes, another one. My actual talisman. The necklace Zelena has is a duplicate," clarified Rumplestiltskin. He took the dagger and placed its edge on the palm of his hand and drew blood. He then waved the bloodied dagger over the necklace and it transferred all the magic from the necklace into the dagger. The dagger glowed purple for a moment but then quickly dissolved to grey-white as Rumple felt its power sear and surge in his hand. "As I said to you before, this old talisman was never meant to hold power, only amplify it. This dagger, however, has no limit as to how much power it can absorb."

"Let me get this straight, you sacrificed our only way home so that you could gather more power _for your dagger?!"_

"You knew of my intentions for coming here. I wanted to bring magic back to Storybrooke and to do that I needed my dagger, which wasn't in Storybrooke."

"But, I thought you wanted to bring Storybrooke's magic back?"

"A slight misunderstanding on your part. It was never my intention for others to have magic. With Belle and Lily running around Storybrooke _and_ with magic now, it makes the need to have it myself that much more critical. So now I can infuse the dagger with whatever magic I can find, circumventing Belle's spell in the process. Technically, by bringing back my dagger and its magic tied by blood to me, magic will be brought back to Storybrooke. I've simply accomplished what I had originally set out to do. Now… in regards to our current transportation dilemma, the answer lies in what we got out of our deal with Zelena," he said as he pointed to Lily's book bag proudly.

Henry was so overwhelmed by Rumple's lack of conscience and complete disregard with what he had done that he conceded to hold trial over his grandfather's actions for when they got home. But in order to get home, Henry had to trust that his grandfather had a way of getting them home. He snapped out of his shock and stuttered, "Um… wha… _her bag?_ "

"It's not just her bag," he said as he unzipped the large pocket. "It's what's inside her bag." From within the depths of Lily's book bag Rumple pulled out a pair of woman's silver slippers. Henry's eyes widened as he recognized the fantastical footwear, "Dorothy's slippers from Oz! How did you get those?"

"Before moving back, I had managed to acquire this item at an auction in Kansas. However, sometime during the move to Storybrooke I had lost them, thinking I had somehow lost them to magic… or so I had thought. Obviously, that wasn't the case. Lily is much cleverer than I had thought and somehow stole them from me when I wasn't looking."

Rumple took the dagger and waved it over the pair of shoes. The dagger vibrated in his hands as the power from the shoes became absorbed into the weapon. When the power had been transferred, the once brilliant silver dulled to an ugly gray. The transference was complete. "There," said Rumplestiltskin with accomplishment as he waved the dagger in front of Henry. "Now we can get home."

"I can't even begin to tell you how wrong all of this is," declared Henry with the upmost regret of what he was seeing, powerless to stop his grandfather.

"Now, now, no need for dramatics. You do whatever it takes to get the job done. That's all that matters," said Rumple proudly as he pulled out Zelena's necklace with the featured emerald stone.

"No," contradicted Henry, " _How_ you get the job done is what matters." After seeing what it was that Rumplestiltskin had pulled out of Lily's bag and seeing what the dagger could do, Henry had a brilliant idea and reached for his grandfather's arm to stop him. "Wait…"

"What is it now?" said Rumple with slight irritation as he was about to take Zelena's magic from her pendent.

"That's Zelena's pendent… the Zelena from the alternate universe," pointed out Henry.

"Yes. I know this," acknowledged Rumple. "What are you getting at?"

"I think I know of a way to separate my Dad safely and destroy Zelena at the same time, but it's going to require the cooperation and utilization of both your magic as well as Belle's." Seeing that his grandfather was interested and listening, he explained further. "This totem was used to host Zelena's life force, was it not? Possibly by means of blood magic, to tie her and all of her magic until the moment you used Cogsworth which was what woke her up. Perhaps there's a way to trade Dad's life for Zelena's so that when my mom separates them, he won't be harmed."

Rumple liked the proposal, but then questioned Henry's implication by saying sarcastically, "Killing another person… I don't know. Are you ready to have that kind of blood on your hands?"

Consenting to agree with Rumple's sentiments from earlier, Henry altered the quote, "In the end, we do what we need to do to protect the ones we love."

Rumple nodded in concurrence and was already planning what they needed to do in his mind. "We need to get back to Storybrooke and find your father. Who knows what kind of chaos Zelena's been up to since she left here?"

"Finally, something we agree on," remarked Henry. "As soon as we get home we've got to alert the others about Zelena. Nobody even knows that she's there or that they're even in danger!"

Rumple gave another quick nod in agreement and replied as he pocketed Zelena's emerald necklace, "You take care of alerting the others. I'll focus on trying to figure out a way to safely separate your father from my counterpart."

Henry nodded as Rumple looped one of the straps to Lily's book bag around his arm. As soon as they saw they were ready, Henry placed a hand over his grandfather's shoulders. Rumple looked on and called to his dagger in his hand, "There's no place like home."

Rumple whipped and twirled his dagger like a wand in the air and the two men parted from the Dark One's castle and back to Storybrooke.

* * *

 **Hi guys! Long chapter. I was going to split it into two chapters but then decided at the last moment to group the two together. Hope you enjoyed it like the previous chapter! Also, a shout out to Grace5231973, Actress10, and ladybugsmomma for reviewing. It's always so exciting to read your responses. Thank you! See you next chapter!**


	17. Something There

Zelena appeared in the forest of Storybrooke with feelings of devious accomplishment. When she pulled out the necklace given to her by Rumplestiltskin, the jewelry turned to ash in her hand. "Rargh! Damn you Rumplestiltskin!" cursed Zelena out loud in frustration. Realizing she was tricked and alone in this universe she quickly assessed her magical situation.

She peered down at her hands and discovered her skin to be pale and ivory. At least one fact Rumplestiltskin shared was true, there was no magic in Storybrooke. Despite there being no magic she still sensed magic. _How can this be?_ She wondered. It didn't make sense to her and she became confused by this strange universe she found herself in. Zelena looked about her in the forest. "I'm definitely not in Oz anymore," she stated rhetorically to herself. At least she could eliminate that factor.

Suddenly she heard voices coming deeper in the woods. Children's voices. She turned at the sound and already a plan was shaping in her mind. Being the clever witch that she was, she pulled out a small vial from within her bosom and said proudly to herself, "I may not have magic, but I am certainly resourceful. Nothing like good old-fashioned poison to do the trick."

… …

Neal Nolan ran through the woods to follow after Pocahontas. Seeing that he wasn't going to receive any help from Lily who just recently disappeared and abandoned him for her personal mission. Whatever it was, he was left to rely on his own instincts instead of magic to navigate through the forest. _Just stop_ , he told himself. He needed to be silent to listen to the subtleties of the woods. He stopped running and quieted his quick intake of breath. He closed his eyes and listened intently, calming his breath as he went.

He thought about his parents and the kind of punishment that waited for him. Against the wishes of his parents or without their knowledge, Neal would often times find himself wandering on his own in Storybrooke's woods. With the apartment above the library now occupied by the Gold family, the forest had been his last place of refuge and he knew the land like the back of his hand. He would take refuge to the trees for solace, learning and knowing that all he needed to do was listen and trust in the honesty of the trees. They would tell him the direction he needed to go to find Pocahontas.

A gust of wind blew through the canopy of leaves above him causing the branches to knock against each other. He ignored the natural brush that the wind pushed along the bottom floor and craned his ears to listen for something further away. As expected, the sound of branches snapping unnaturally echoed to his right ricocheting off of the many tree trunks. He opened his eyes and followed after the sound. Even when he had magic, nothing compared to his natural ability to navigate through the forest and it was something he was proud over. It wasn't something he had inherited, it was something he had earned and learned on his own.

"She's heading to the river… where the larger trees are… the willow! She's searching for Grandmother Willow!" concluded Neal as he ran to the direction of the river. Neal dodged trees, bucking back and forth as he weaved himself through the forest. It took a few minutes to get there, but as he ran he thought of his mother. Just last night he told his parents that he was going to spend the night over at a friend's house. When they asked whether or not it was ok with the parents Neal lied and said, 'yes'. Lying made him feel guilty, but breaking his parent's trust made him feel worse, especially after his own parents consented to the fake sleep over. The guilt ate him up inside. His parents trusted him and from here on out there would be doubt in his words. Was his situation rectifiable? How could he explain all of this to his parents? Would they understand? Or would they never trust him again?

Surely by now they would discover his disappearance, or hopefully not even realize anything had happened. He doubted the second thought. His parents always found out about what was happening in Storybrooke, mostly because they were always in the middle of it. Somehow they always knew. He should have known that his attempt to befriend Lily would get him in trouble. Then again, he and Lily did bring Pocahontas to Storybrooke from another land. Surely _her_ parents would find out as well. One thing was for certain, people were bound to discover her presence sooner or later, his family inevitably sooner.

 _What's with this girl?_ He thought angrily to himself. _She's done nothing but get me in trouble, put me to shame, feel guilty. She's arrogant, she's frustrating, she's irritating, she's right, she's wonderful, she's smart, she's beautiful… wait… what am I saying?_

The thought physically stopped him in his tracks as he neared the river. Did he like her? Was it more than that? His first memory of her of how they met wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst memory of her either. It was about a year ago that he was in Henry's cabin learning to control his magic. Lily had literally busted into the cabin to save him from an injury he had performed on himself, claiming that it was Henry who had harmed him. Neither one of them knew her at the time and thought it completely strange for this seven-year-old girl stranger to disrupt them in the middle of the woods. After rendering Henry unconscious, he was reluctantly whisked away by magic to the middle of the woods.

It wasn't until their hands had touched that an unspoken connection was made. A connection that even he had a hard time articulating and to this day had a hard time understanding. The feeling felt like destiny. For a split second when he had looked up into Lily's hazel eyes a buzz reverberated throughout his entire body. _Was it magic?_ He would know having once possessed magic before but knew that it wasn't that, but something more. However, it was very similar. Her actions that led to their first encounter was nothing short of repugnant, but his intuition of her at that very moment said something completely different. In that brief moment he believed that she wasn't evil or a villain, just different and confused. At such a young age having magic, even he had felt different and confused. In that moment he saw through her a reflection of himself. Deep down in his soul he knew, whether he wanted to admit it or not, that he would be seeing a lot more of her. He had thought of that moment ever since he had met her. He might not have had magic, but he knew that it was her who had charmed him since.

Neal came to the riverside to orient himself and saw no evidence of Pocahontas. He looked north and south of the river's flow and speculated where a willow tree would take root. Based off of what he knew of Grandmother Willow from Pocahontas's world, she was in a place with limited to no turbulence. He needed to search for the calmest part of the river. The river's end.

His run slowed to a jog as he followed south down the river's descent to where the pools of water would collect. The water's stream would break off into smaller streams and venture into different parts of the woods. It was in those smaller flows that the water calmed and trickled more insipidly. To Neal's satisfaction, he saw a willow tree with gargantuan branches sit peacefully just inside by a bank of the river's side. He parted the veil of flowing branches to reveal Pocahontas kneeling before the tree as if praying.

"Grandmother…" Neal heard Pocahontas address softly to the ambient bark. "…I'm here like you instructed. Please, what am I to do now?" The tree, however, did not come to life like it did when they were in Pocahontas's world and it disturbed her greatly. Pocahontas turned to Neal and asked worriedly, "What is wrong with the spirits of this world? Why doesn't my Grandmother speak to me?"

Thinking that by _spirits_ she meant magic, Neal replied, "A year ago a spell was cast removing all of our world's magic. There are only two people here I know who still possess it… Lily, who you've met, and my nephew, Henry."

Pocahontas's face was a mixture of confusion and distress. Not knowing what to do she declared authoritatively, "Then I will meditate and pray for Grandmother's return. She will know what I am to do next."

Pocahontas closed her eyes and steadied her breathing and Neal looked on not knowing what to do either. He looked around and then decided to sit down beside her, staring at the bubbling water that passed by them. After one quick intake of breath he broke Pocahontas's tranquil meditation and said, "Why are girls so weird?"

Pocahontas raised an eyebrow at the disturbance and glared over at Neal with one eyelid open to show her disapproval. Despite her dissatisfaction he carried on anyways, "I mean, why do girls insist on getting their way. First she wants to be friends, then she takes advantage of your kindness and decides to venture off to Goodness-knows. Did you know that we're supposed to do a presentation together?"

"You speak too much," said Pocahontas with eyes still closed.

"What?"

"You talk too much yet say so little."

"What do you mean?"

"Your mind is like this river, always moving to get to the end and never stopping to notice the color of the wind." Neal didn't know what to say because Pocahontas's cryptic analogy was way above his head. Seeing that she wasn't going to be able to meditate at that moment, Pocahontas opened both of her eyes to see Neal's dumbstruck face and continued, "Do you not know?"

"Um, what?" he asked with complete obliviousness.

"She is in love, with you…"

"Wha…" scoffed Neal in disbelief. "No. No she doesn't. There's no way. Pssh! No way!"

"…and _you_ … love her."

At her direct observation, Neal's jaw dropped and his mouth dried instantly. " _How…?_ " Suddenly it all made sense as his cheeks became instantly flushed. Out of a knee-jerk reaction, he denied his feelings by pointing out, "But… we _can't_ love each other. We can barely _stand_ each other, let alone like each other!"

"Why does the flower need the bee? Or the tree the sun? Without the bee the flower cannot bloom and without the sun the tree could not grow. You can tell by how she looks at you that you are the reason she does what she does. She is driven by love."

" _I'm the reason?!_ " exclaimed Neal as if he was being accused of some ghastly crime.

"As a demon spirit she could have done much harm to you, but she has chosen not to. That is because she is listening to her heart." Pocahontas turned away from Neal and stared off into the river as she spoke nostalgically, "Grandmother Willow says that love is the pathway to happiness. She probably believes me to be unhappy which is why I am here. Perhaps my heart is the key to my destiny. Perhaps coming to this _Storybrooke_ will help me see through to my heart which is clouded by uncertainty." Pocahontas then turned to Neal and redirected the conversation, "but you… What does your heart say? Why are you here? Why have you come for me?"

"I-I… Well I-we, we needed you to help us on our research project."

"Mmm. Yes, you mentioned this before. What are you trying to research?"

"The topic for our research is on _you_ , actually. It's for school. Lily and I were paired to work together, not by choice mind you."

"Hmm," acknowledged Pocahontas who was trying to understand. Convinced that her accusation for Neal's admiration of Lily were true she reasoned, "Did you have to find me to do this research?"

"Well… no. I guess not." Even Neal had to admit that magically going to another realm to bring Pocahontas to Storybrooke was superfluous and most unnecessary. It was his idea after all to go and it was Lily who suggested otherwise. Could it be possible that he really just simply wanted to be with her? To be around her? He felt something there for Lily. There was something there.

Suddenly they both heard some twigs snap behind them and they saw Lily approach them. As she did so Neal saw her wipe away a few inexplicable tears that he would be sure to ask her about, but after discovering his feelings for her he pulled back on his natural inclination to shoulder her tears and comfort her. Defensively and sarcastically he said instead, "Well, look who decided to finally join us. I thought you were abandoning me on this project."

Lily looked up at Neal. In that one glance he could tell that she was hurting and decided against adding to that hurt by being verbally cruel to her. There was nothing to be said as she sat on the bed of grass next to Pocahontas and stared at the water. After a few moments of awkward silence Pocahontas pried, "What is wrong?"

Lily's lip trembled and tears formed again in her eyes. To shield her melancholy, she buried her defeated face into her arms and wept. Pocahontas delicately placed a comforting hand on Lily's shoulder and sat there with her in silence. Both Pocahontas and Neal waited patiently, ready to listen when Lily was ready to respond. Lily took her time and after a sniffle she said, "I mess up everything I touch! I can't do anything right."

Neal prodded, asking with genuine concern, "What happened?"

"I brought my brother back from another universe and nobody was happy about it. He can't survive long here because of his condition and it's my fault because I can't help him and didn't think to know how to help him when he came here. My parents found out about my magic and are upset. I've hurt Henry. I've taken Cogsworth. And now, I don't know what to do."

"I can help you," offered Neal.

" _How?! How can you help me?!_ " shouted Lily back defiantly. "I'm a bad person. A villain! Nobody can help me!" Lily took a breath and continued with defeat, "No. I've inherited my father's darkness and now I'm cursed. No matter what I do I always make the wrong choice. I give up. I don't want to believe in magic anymore. I don't want to be a villain."

"Hey!" objected Neal who came forward to Lily and knelt down next to her. "It's like what you said to me. You are not your parents. You don't have to be cursed or magical if you don't want to."

After hearing Neal's encouraging words, a few teardrops fell onto her arms and a smile slowly grew on her face. Seeing that Lily was beginning to be more receptive, Pocahontas suggested gently, "If Grandmother Willow was here with us she would know how to help you, but the spirits of this world seem to be different here than in my world."

"Perhaps with your magic you can try waking her up," proposed Neal as he shrugged his shoulders. Lily looked up at Pocahontas and Neal and then at the willow tree they were sitting under. As she stood up she remarked, "Is this her?"

Both Neal and Pocahontas stood up and followed after Lily as she got up to inspect the tree for herself. Lily tentatively graced her fingers along the outside of the bark and closed her eyes, focusing on her magic but nothing happened. The tree did not twist or move into life like it did in Pocahontas's world. Lily had lost her will to believe in her own magic and in that moment she found herself powerless.

"I'm… I'm sorry. My magic is gone," apologized Lily.

"Just like that?" doubted Neal. "I don't believe it. If you don't have magic anymore then how were you able to find us."

"…She had followed her heart," answered Pocahontas surprisingly which caused both of the children's heads to turn. Before either one could negate Pocahontas's statement a woman with bright red hair and piercing blue eyes approached the group.

"Aww, what a sentimental moment I'm witnessing and what a shame to hear about your magic because you see, this just means that I'll have to take one of you as hostage."

"You're… you're Zelena!" identified Lily with fright. The fear in Lily's voice immediately put everyone on edge as Zelena moved threateningly closer to them.

"What gave it away? Was it my hat?" asked Zelena rhetorically as she confidently adjusted the large black hat that rested on her head. Neal's face furrowed as he tried to think of where he had heard that name before. When it suddenly occurred to him, he stated boldly, "You're the witch my parents told me about."

He bravely stood his ground before the witch, placing his body between the witch and his friends. He had no understanding where the source of his courage was coming from, but his urge to protect everyone was certainly there. He scanned the witch up and down. He knew the story of his birth. His mother would always share it whenever he did something to warrant a reminder of their sacrifice for him. His parents told of how a witch named Zelena abducted him the day he was born and how she had attempted to use him to enact a spell. With what he knew of the witch he had every reason to feel as frightened as the rest of the people in his party, but for some inexplicable reason he did not.

"I suppose it is nice to know that my reputation transcends throughout both universes and realms," Zelena said proudly as she tossed her red hair behind her shoulders. The witch turned her stare toward the young boy and scanned him thoroughly. "Let me guess… chiseled chin, hopeful eyes, the constant bewildered complexion… you must be a Charming."

Unafraid, he boldly stated, "You're the witch who failed to open a time portal that could have destroyed us all."

"Ah, yes. My original plan. Obviously that didn't happen because, as you see, I'm still here," retorted Zelena, feeling like she had the upper hand. "Thanks to the Dark One's daughter, I came here with her from another universe. She didn't have enough power to get her home to her universe and tapped upon my powers to get her back here. Hence, my gorgeous presence standing before you."

"We defeated you once. We can do it again," threatened Neal on behalf of all of them. Zelena hackled with laughter over the puny threat and replied, "Sorry to disappoint you, child. That was one way my story ended, but not this time. There's still more to tell of this wicked witch…" She pulled out a vial from her bosom and revealed it to the rest of the group and continued, "…and I intend on getting my happy ending."

"You'll find that your potion won't work since there's no magic here," pointed out Lily.

"Oh, but this potion will work, because without magic it makes for a great poison and it's how I'm going to use you as leverage against your father. He's in another realm at the moment, but knowing him I'm sure he's already found a way back here. There's nothing he holds more dearly to his heart than his own children. Take your own brother, for example. He's stuck forever with his father."

The witch moved quickly because the moment Zelena finished her sentence she lunged after Lily, catching both her and Pocahontas by surprise. However, Neal tackled the witch before she was even able to reach Lily and prevented her from grabbing hold of Lily. Lily and Pocahontas dodged and leapt out of the way of the quarrel as Neal tossed, pushed and shoved the witch. Zelena lost her balance and fell, but before she hit the ground Neal managed to take the vial of poison from her. The witch reacted quickly to her loss and found Lily to be close by to her. In the blink of an eye, Zelena pulled out a small knife from within her boot and snatched Lily. She stood back up with Lily bringing the knife close to Lily's neck, showing her advantage to Neal who held Zelena's vial in the air. Pocahontas got back to her feet and stood by Neal's side with a small knife of her own. Pocahontas looked back and forth to Neal and the witch, unsure as to how to react.

"Let me go!" pleaded Lily as Zelena's grip around her tightened and the knife dug deeper into her neck. Lily felt a sharp pain as the knife pierced a little bit into her neck and a trickle of blood fell from the point of insertion. At the pain, Lily stopped resisting. She stood compliantly staring at Neal with pleading eyes to not move, fearing the risk to her own throat being slit further.

"Hand me the poison, boy, and the girl lives!" stated the witch's terms.

"Don't do it, Neal! Dump the poison!" suggested Lily out of desperation.

"Do it and this knife goes deeper!" threatened Zelena. Neal felt at a loss. Dump the poison and Lily dies, hand the poison back and risk everyone's uncertain future. Was there another option? Was there more poison? No, because if there was Zelena wouldn't have threatened Lily's life for it, Neal reasoned. The witch needed leverage and the poison was that leverage. Neal looked to the vial in his hands and pondered over the decision that laid in his hands.

"You may not believe in your magic, Lily, but I do," said Neal as he slowly looked up at Lily with hopeful eyes.

"What are you doing?" asked Pocahontas as she turned to her comrade with concern. Neal didn't bother to turn to look at Pocahontas to address her question, but instead continued looking at Lily with determination. He continued, "You will have magic again and when you do you will save us all because I believe in you. I will always believe in you."

Without a second thought or skipping a beat, Neal popped open the vial in his hands and drank the poison.

" _No!_ " shouted both Pocahontas and Lily in unison, but it was too late. The deed was done. Neal had ingested the poison. His eyes fluttered backwards into his skull and started to fall. Before his body could collapse to the ground Pocahontas leapt forward and caught his body, easing his body gently to the ground.

"You killed him!" shouted Lily as she disappeared from Zelena's grasp and reappeared in front of her. Neal's combined sacrifice and belief in her was enough to restore Lily's magic and Lily turned to the witch with full force. Rage built up within Lily and without even thinking about it a ball of fire appeared in the palm of her hand, ready to be thrown at the witch's face. She had seen her father use magic to gather a ball of fire in his hands and felt it completely appropriate and natural to do the same against Zelena.

Lily grimaced with anger at the witch and upon seeing what Lily was about to do, Zelena replied non-surprised, "Ha! You see, I knew that you not having magic was a farce!" Zelena sounded almost gleeful as she gathered herself, straightening out her dress and dusting off her shoulders. "And to correct your accusation, no I didn't kill him. Technically, he did it to himself, but that's beside the point. The deed is done. Your friend isn't dead, merely incapacitated so I'd put that away if I were you," said Zelena as she nodded towards Lily's fireball. "There may be a way for him to live, but it would be useless to kill me seeing as I am the only one who knows exactly what poisoned him."

"Do not listen to the witch. She still aims to use you for her advantage," said Pocahontas perceptively as she held Neal's body in her lap.

"The savage has a point, however, if you do decide to use your magic for me and take me back to my universe, I'll tell you what it is that ails him as well as the cure that will save his life." Lily turned to look at Neal's lifeless body and mulled over the choice that was being presented to her. The witch continued persuading Lily using her silver tongue, "Tough choice, I know, because without magic he'll remain in a coma for the rest of his existence. To put it simply: my death or his life."

Lily turned to the witch and extinguished the fireball. With great restraint, Lily asked with a slight growl, "What do you want?"

"Good choice," acknowledged Zelena with a sinister smile. She slithered confidently up to Lily and confidently strode around her as she continued, " _What do I want?_ That's an excellent question. What I want is to pay a little visit to my sister here. She needs a reminder that no matter what world or realm she finds herself in she doesn't deserve a happy ending. With your magic, you'll help me remind her of that… along with a few other things while I'm here, of course. Once you insure my safety back to my universe, I'll tell you how to save your friend…" Zelena leaned in uncomfortably close to Lily's ear and asked, "… _deal?_ "

Lily glared at the witch and with a wave of her hand the two disappeared in a cloud of magical smoke.

* * *

 **Scary times ahead, but good magical ones as well. This was a good Neal Nolan chapter, I thought. Not much is really known about him, obviously because the only known reference to his O.C. on the show is a baby, so writing him as nine-year old is like writing an original character really. What did you guys think? Thank you to Grace5231973, Princess Milly, and ladybugsmomma for reading and reviewing. What did you guys think of Zelena's resurrection in my story? I figured there needed to be a cost to bringing Neal back to Lily's universe. Fitting price, wouldn't you say? Just a couple of weeks till the premiere of S6! I'm stoked. See you next chapter!**


	18. An Alternate Perspective

"Unfortunately the evidence is overwhelming. They'll definitely charge you for the vandalism. If you plead guilty to those charges, I can negotiate six months of community service in court. However, his pleading guilty will result in a permanent mark on his juvenile record," said David Nolan's father, or as he was better known in the Enchanted Forest, King George. From one of the hard wood chairs, George sat across from Roland who was still sitting inside the jail cell of the Sheriff's station. Robin and Regina observed from behind George, monitoring the entire interaction.

"It's the least he can do, considering the property damage he did in this town," agreed Robin as he looked back and forth between George and Roland.

George, who was acting as Roland's lawyer, looked over to Regina cueing his wrap-up of their session. He stood up and made his way to exit the room as Regina escorted him to the doorway. In a subdued voice George said to Regina, "And now that my part is finished, I believe there are no more favors to be had between us."

"We are even," nodded Regina to the elderly man.

"Good, because I don't enjoy being called out of retirement to pay back debts still looming over me. Especially ones from another life." George sighed exhaustively as he reflected painfully on his life in the Enchanted Forest. "Merely remembering our life in the Enchanted Forest ages me. Being as old as I am, I can't afford to age any faster. Not all of us can wield youthful enchantments upon ourselves," remarked George to Regina.

"I'm sorry, was that a request or a complaint?" sassed Regina in reply. "For the record, I don't need magic to appear younger. Make-up already does wonders in this world."

"Well, now that magic is gone, you'll see. When you reach my age -and you will, you'll know exactly what I mean. One way or another, Father Time catches up with us all," mentioned George as he left the Sheriff's station with the final word on the subject. Regina rolled her eyes and moved back to the father and son who stood on opposite sides of the bars between them.

"Is everything alright?" Robin asked as he turned to his wife to register her temperament.

"-for now…," answered another woman from behind them in the Sheriff's station. "…but not for long."

"Dad!" shouted Roland, reacting to the sudden magical appearance of both Zelena and Lily who were standing there before them. All of them were shocked, but for Regina it was much more than that. She felt conflicted, paralyzed, surprised and confused. Out of protection for herself, Regina naturally guised her vulnerability and fear with sarcasm and barked, "Zelena! You're supposed to be dead. How the hell are you alive?"

"Good to see you too, sis," smirked Zelena confidently as she strode over to the family with Lily in tow.

"Run Lily!" ushered Regina to the little girl when Roland intervened and shouted, "No! Lily! I know you have magic! This witch is dangerous! You can stop her!"

Lily stood there conflicted and reluctant to be there. Like she wanted to destroy the witch but for some reason couldn't. Seeing that she was speechless, Zelena spoke on her behalf and said, "Well, you see she would and actually she tried but she decided wisely against it because of a little deal we made with each other. Isn't that right Lily?" Lily bowed her head in shame and couldn't even lift her head up to acknowledge their agreement.

"That's a new low for you. Being a terror on your own was too much work so now you're manipulating children to do your bidding," remarked Regina to Zelena.

"I'm sure it would have been a new low for the Zelena you knew from this universe, but alas, she doesn't share the same experiences as I do. I am not from your universe." At Zelena's words the befuddlement only grew on everyone's faces as they tried to orient themselves to what Zelena was referring to. "You see, thanks to Lily's unique ability to jump to different universes she ventured into my universe, where I'm very much alive, and brought me back with her here."

"It was an accident… I didn't mean to…" said Lily as she tried to explain, but her reasons were just as weak as her delivery.

"But there isn't any magic here," stated Regina firmly, yet questionably. Her doubtful face said something otherwise.

"Obviously, that isn't true because, well… here I am," replied Zelena with a perky smile. "Oh, and in regards to that magic issue, Lily's here to take care of that for me."

"What do you want from us?" asked Robin bravely.

"Oh, just to see you squirm… perhaps suffer…" Zelena said coldly. Without blinking an eye, she ordered smoothly, "…Lily, I want to see him beg for mercy…"

"No! I won't do it!" defied Lily.

"Do it, or little Charming in the wood dies," Zelena reminded Lily threateningly.

Lily could barely watch as she outstretched her hand to reluctantly bring Robin down into submission. Almost instantly, Robin went from standing to kneeling as his knees slammed painfully to the ground. Robin winced and moaned in pain, helpless to do anything to defend himself. Regina immediately rushed to Robin's side on the ground to try and lift him up, but it was of no use.

"Dad!" cried out Roland in reaction. "Lily stop! Stop it! You're hurting my father!"

"Lily, whatever hold my sister has over you, we can figure it out together!" negotiated Regina desperately to Lily.

"I'm sorry!" Lily cried back, her outstretched hand trembling. "Neal will die if I don't do as she says."

Zelena snickered over the incredible tension and power struggle happening in the Sheriff's station. It was evident on Zelena's gleeful face that she was taking pleasure in Regina's suffering. Regina snarled and shouted, "Whatever you want, you're not going to get it!"

"That's quite a bold statement considering the position you're currently in. Magicless and helpless to a child. How sad for you," retorted Zelena dryly. Zelena sighed over Regina's pathetic attempts to defend herself and continued, "I'm afraid, Ms. Mayor, that you're just in no position to be making any demands." She glided confidently behind Lily and bent slightly over till her lips were uncomfortably close to Lily's ear and ordered, "…now _kill_ him."

"No! That wasn't part of the deal!" exclaimed Lily.

"Lily! Only you have the power to stop her. Now stop her! There's always a choice and once you choose the path to darkness you'll forever be trying to find the light. Take it from me, I was once called the Evil Queen and it took lifetimes to reach this point. Please, don't make the same mistake as me," pleaded Regina to Lily with tears forming in her eyes.

Lily looked around the room. She saw Roland, the first friend she had made since moving to Storybrooke who had saved her from the bullies at school. Roland's father, Robin Locksley, a good man trying to be a good father and husband to the infamous Evil Queen. Regina, mayor, and Evil Queen turned mother was only simply trying to turn her life around for the better. The deal Lily had made with Zelena was to do her magical bidding in order to return her back to her universe, not to kill. Whatever Zelena had in mind for Regina, Robin and Roland, none of this torture would accomplish that return. So in one gulp, Lily released her hold on Robin and removed her and Zelena from the Sheriff's station in a cloud of magical smoke. Whatever fallout of her decision to remove themselves from the station would be, she would gladly argue the semantics over her deal with Zelena later. Lily needed to be Roland's hero, and by bringing Zelena to the Sheriff's station she was already taking her first step towards the path to darkness.

… …

Belle left the Pawn Shop, furious over the secret her husband tried to conceal from her. The rest of the group followed after her down Main Street to walk to Maurice's Game of Thorns Flower shop to find out answers. Neal Cassidy couldn't help but gawk at Emma the entire time as they sped walked together to get there. Emma noticed the awkward staring and replied defensively, "Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

"I'm sorry," apologized Neal bashfully, "It's just that in my universe you're dead and I- well, I guess I just can't believe I'm seeing you right now. I suppose it's because some part of me always believed I would never see you or Henry again."

"As strange as it is for you mate, we're just as confounded to see you," chimed in Killian. Neal looked to Hook and noticed how close he was in proximity to Emma. Neal quickly glanced downwards and the first thing that caught his eye were their hands. First it was Hook's. The last memory Neal had of Hook, he distinctly remembered him brandishing a hook everywhere he went. The second was Emma's left hand as he noticed the wedding band glint in the afternoon sun.

"Nice… hand," Neal said as he glanced down at Killian's left hand. "I suppose calling you 'Hook' is no longer appropriate."

"Ah yes," smiled Killian as he raised his left hand proudly, "A gift from your father. A symbol of our ambivalence towards each other."

" _A gift from my father?_ " replied Neal in surprise. "Now I know I'm not from this universe."

Belle lead the group around the corner until they were nearly at the flower shop. Emma had an expectant look on her face as she kept glancing over at Neal as well. She looked like she wanted to say something but wasn't sure exactly how to say it. There was so much she wanted to say to him, but felt like she had so little time to do it in. Whenever Neal Cassidy was involved in her life, she had learned to expect spontaneity. As if in a moment's notice she would suddenly lose her opportunity to say whatever it was that was on her mind.

She remembered her last experience with Neal. Henry had just brought Neal back from the Underworld and had unintentionally made a deal with Hades. She, Henry and Neal had one last meal together over at the Gold residence and they had shared a heartfelt kiss. When the deal between Henry and Hades broke, Neal disappeared to the Underworld and it was like their brief day together as a family never happened. Despite making his final connections with his family and making the most over what little time he had left with them, he managed to unintentionally to break her heart again. She had loved him, and the Neal she knew from this universe was gone. Whenever Emma heard her younger brother's name, her heart would flutter painfully from the memory. She never had a moment to truly grieve his death and as a result, hearing his name brought about feelings of guilt, regret and sadness. But there he was, standing nay, walking around Storybrooke. What did all of this mean? What did this mean to Henry? To her? Would she finally be able to say all things she wanted to, to this Neal?

She fidgeted with her wedding band and stopped suddenly in her trek to get something off of her chest. Out of all the things she wanted to say to him, she blurted out awkwardly, "Neal, I'm pregnant."

"Oh," Neal said as he raised his eyebrows in surprise. He, as well as the rest of the party stopped abruptly to listen to his response.

"I… I just figured you ought to know," she added more sheepishly. It was also news to Belle as she turned to listen in on the conversation. To fill the awkward silence, Neal replied coolly, "Well… um, I would imagine that's what happens when you marry the person you love." He turned to Killian and nodded, "Congratulations, by the way."

Surprised by how Neal knew he was the father, Killian replied slightly confused, "Thanks, mate."

"How do you know Killian's the father?" Emma inquired.

"Your wedding band gave it away. A dolphin bears remembrance of the sea… something only Killian would get you I imagine. Besides, I still remember what happened during our time in Neverland. Assuming, of course, that we had similar experiences there. I _am_ from an alternate universe after all. Though, from what I've understood from Lily, our timelines are pretty similar up to the point of… well, my supposed death here in your universe," answered Neal as he scratched his head nervously. Emma appeared flabbergasted by his observation and Neal encouraged sympathetically, "Hey, look Emma. Of all people, I understand why you told me. If you're looking for my approval, you don't need it. You did what you needed to do to move on and I respect that. So whatever conflict Killian and I had all those years ago, I'm passed it. All I've ever wanted was for you to be happy and you are happy, aren't you?"

Emma immediately thought of the conversation they had shared in the forest while searching for his father years ago, right before his death. During that time all they had talked about was her happiness. In that brief moment, stirred feelings of admiration. By placing her feelings above his own, it was evidence that no matter what Emma thought of him Neal would always love and respect her, just like this Neal Cassidy. Although this Neal Cassidy was from another universe, they still shared similar sentiments. The mere remembrance of that moment in the forest made Emma tear up as she nodded slowly and replied softly, "Yes."

"Then that's all that matters," smiled Neal with finality as he turned back around to resume their trek. He caught sight of Belle who was staring at him with a stern, yet determined look on her face as though she, too, had a lot on her mind at the moment. Upon seeing that they were ready to continue on, she turned around with him and pressed forward. Neal caught up with Belle until he was walking right next to her and noted, "And I believe congratulations are in order for you as well."

"For what?" she asked, wanting clarification.

"For believing in my father. For giving him reason to do the right thing. By the looks of it, you both seemed to have done a lot of good things together. Settling down… having children…"

Belle scoffed at the remark, shaking her head as she responded coldly, "A lot of good that's done." She didn't mean to sound coarse, but with the frustrations she had been dealing with at home, as well as her current situation, her sentiment wasn't showing how truly grateful she was for what she had.

"I mean it. Thank you for bringing Lily into this world. It's been eight years since my Emma passed and I had pretty much lost all hope until she arrived. When she approached me and introduced herself I found her thoughtful, loving, intelligent, curious… She's brilliant, just like her mother. She made me hopeful again."

"Thank you," thanked Belle for Neal's kind words. The kind thoughts about her daughter cheered her up and in response a small smile graced her face.

"You know," began Neal as they all continued walking to the Flower shop, "back in my universe, you and I had become really good friends. I… truly hope that it can be the same here," said Neal sincerely.

Realizing that she was putting up a cold front, Belle apologized, "I'm sorry if I seem austere. That wasn't my intention. Please forgive me. I truly am glad to see you again, but despite my daughter's good intentions her magic is just too dangerous and we must find a way to protect her from it."

They had all arrived at the flower shop's front door and as Neal reached for the handle to open it he replied, "As her older brother I may seem biased, but as a fellow parent I think she's handling her magic quite well on her own. Perhaps, like you've shown my father, you could show her a little faith as well."

At the end of his sentence he opened the door for everyone to enter. Both Killian and Emma entered the flower shop first, followed by Belle who remained silent as she passed by Neal who entered the building last. The first person who greeted the party inside the shop was Belle's mother, Mary Poppins. She noticed the gathering of people and remarked, "Well this shop certainly has gotten smaller."

Neal entered in with the rest of the group and introduced himself to Mary. With a hand extended, he greeted, "Hi. We haven't met. My name is-"

"-Neal Cassidy. Yes, I know," said Mary expectantly as she extended her hand to him as well. Neal gratefully took it and shook it gently as he said with shock, " _Really?_ "

"From what I hear, you are quite the central figure here in Storybrooke," she replied knowingly.

"Wow, well. It's an honor to meet you," he said.

"Please, the honor is all mine," she said with a kind smile as they both retracted their hands.

"Mother, how can you possibly know Neal?" Belle inquired skeptically.

"Your husband told me about him."

"Oh. Of course he has," Belle replied as she rolled her eyes. For a moment Belle forgot about her mother's relationship with Rumplestiltskin. No matter how she looked at it, it was still odd to think that long before she was born, her mother and husband were the best of friends. Maurice came around the corner from within the depths of his shop and with surprise said happily, "Belle! I see you've brought some friends with you."

"Maurice, our daughter is suffering from some form of malady today and her concerned friends are here to find out more so that they can help." Mary turned to the rest of the group and asked expectantly, "Am I correct? Forgive me for the assumption."

Neal, Emma and Killian exchanged concurring glances and nodded compliantly, confirming Mary's observation. There was something still magical about Mary that nobody could put their finger on and it was evident by how she knew about things before they even happened. Belle, on the other hand, disagreed and called Mary out on her observation, "You're over-exaggerating Mother. I'm not sick or dying."

"Well that is certainly good news to hear because despite what you say, something is plaguing you," contradicted Mary in the softest way possible. Mary's face then turned to concern as she asked her daughter. "What is wrong?"

"You sent me over to Elsa and Hercules's shop over the matter of Children with Magic. I-" Belle struggled to complete her sentence to admit her own condition, but then finally mustered up the courage to accept what she was, "I-I'm a child of magic. How come I don't have any recollection of dealing with magic like most children?"

"I… I believe I am to blame for that," confessed Maurice timidly.

"How?"

"You were eight years old… and it was just a year after your mother had left…" Maurice began to explain.

* * *

 **Sorry to leave you guys on a cliffhanger. The next chapter is going to be a flash-back chapter to Belle's childhood while living with her father in her castle. I think you'll like it. As always, thank you to those who were able to read and review the previous chapter, especially to Princess Milly, Grace5231973, ladybugsmomma and Actress10. You guys are the greatest. High-fives to one and all. One more week till OUAT S6 premieres! I'll still be posting even as the show airs every Sunday. So no need to fret! One way or another I will finish this story! Until then, see you next chapter.**


	19. A World Without Magic

**_…_** ** _Enchanted Forest. French Castle…_**

"Papa! Papa. Where's mama? I want mama," cried out a young Belle from her large canopy bed as she woke from a nightmare. She looked around the dark nursery and saw how very much alone she was. She rolled over to the side of her bed and on her night stand lit a small candle. Belle escaped the thick covers and took the candle with her to light her way through the darkened corridors to her father's bed chambers. She crept along the long corridor and propped open her father's chamber door. "Papa?"

Maurice stirred for a moment, waking up slowly to gain his senses and groaned, "Belle? What's wrong? Where's your wet-nurse?"

"I don't want my wet-nurse. I want you," said Belle as she placed her candle on top of his night stand and swiftly crawled into bed with him. Seeing that he had no other choice he gracefully accepted her under the covers and wrapped his securing arms around her. Maurice waited a moment after she had settled down and asked, "Another nightmare?"

Belle moved her head up and down. Another moment of silence was shared between the two as Maurice contemplated on what to do or say next. Instead, Belle broke the silence and asked, "When is Mama coming back?"

"She'll be back…," he said as he hugged her a little tighter, "…someday."

"When?"

"Belle," he sighed exhaustively. "We've discussed this before…"

"People are saying she died in the big storm. Why would people say such things if they know it isn't true?"

"Now is not the time to talk about this. Please, please rest my darling," he soothed as he petted her head. She settled further into the crook of her father's shoulder and feigned sleep. She couldn't sleep. For the past few months she had been waking up from disturbing nightmares of her mother abandoning her. Each night bearing a different variation of abandonment. Each time Belle woke she grew more and more anxious, unsure as to how long she could cope with this affliction.

The following days after her dream the castle busied itself to prepare for oncoming guests from another kingdom. The king, King French, Belle's grandfather, graced his presence each morning at court to check on the progress of the reception which Belle was reluctantly required to attend. Each morning her grandfather walked down the promenade, giving a brief nod to each subject he passed. As a sign of respect, each subject returned the gesture with a courteous bow or curtsy of their own. However, the moment her grandfather came to her and her father's station he would pause in his travels to inspect her more thoroughly.

One morning Belle curtsied, as she was trained and had to do in the presence of her grandfather, and glanced up. King French took his strong fingers and grabbed at Belle's chin. He scanned her kind facial features and with disgust commented, "Not even an ounce of the French bloodline."

It was only when the court dispersed that Belle was allowed to speak, so she turned to her father. She couldn't help but notice the negative comments thrown at her each day and asked, "Papa, does grandfather hate me?"

Maurice sighed and did his best to explain, "You just remind him of your beautiful mother. That's all."

Each day Belle would grab her favorite book and plant herself by her parent's favorite tree next to the field of Bluebells. The book was a thick volume with exceptionally large vocabulary for her age, but it the last book she recalled her mother reading to her before disappearing. Belle held the bindings close to her, as if she was hugging her mother vicariously through the inanimate object. She wanted desperately to know more about her, but despite the text being about a far off place and a prince in disguise it was the only thing she had left of her. For sentimental reasons, Belle carried the book wherever she went. And since the book belonged to her mother, Belle challenged herself every day to read the impossible book.

As she sat there reading, Belle noticed a particularly strange yet pleasant scent being carried in the wind. She looked up at the branches of the trees shifting and waving at her. When she turned to look at the Bluebell field she was surprised to see that they were no longer blue, but yellow, then crimson, then plum. The field rippled in various colors as the wind blew through them and it was a glorious and wonderful sight to see. Her eyes lit up with excitement over the fascinating and beautiful discovery and she stood up at the tree's trunk, leaving the thick book behind to investigate the mystical flowers.

Another strong wind blew past her, raising her small body up into the air until she was floating a few inches off of the ground. Amazed by what was happening, she giggled gleefully as the wind settled her gently and gracefully back down to the ground. Excited by the magical occurrences she was experiencing, she started to run back toward the castle when she forgot the book. She was about to run back for it when suddenly the book flew through the air and into her hands. It was all so amazing that she couldn't wait to tell her father the good news.

…

Belle ran all the way to the castle and knew her father to be in his study chamber at this hour. From within his office, Maurice could hear her joyous shouts from down the long corridor as she repeatedly called out to him, "Papa! Papa! I've got great news! Oops! Excuse me. Pardon me."

Her shouts resonated throughout the entire castle as she ran through its hallways to get to him, dodging and ducking servants along the way who were simply trying to go about their usual work routine. When Belle found her father she found him alone in his study, reading and signing off on decrees for the kingdom. Belle couldn't stop her impetus as she burst through the door, using only the stability of his stationary desk to stop her momentum. Although she had physically stopped, the gust of wind that followed behind her continued forward, blowing all of the papers that were once on his desk onto the floor.

"Belle!" shouted Maurice in frustration as he poorly caught a few sheets of parchment out of the whirlwind of papers that circled him.

"I'm so sorry Papa! Here let me help you," said Belle as she twirled her fingers in the air. In a matter of seconds, the papers that were once on the floor magically arranged themselves in organized piles back on his desk.

"B-B-Belle!" exclaimed Maurice who was absolutely flabbergasted by what had just happened.

"This is what I wanted to tell you! I have magic!" stated Belle excitedly as Maurice came forward to her. The exciting news should have been something to rejoice over, but what she saw on her father's face wasn't joy, but sheer horror. Fearing the worse, Belle said fearfully, "I embarrass you…"

"What have you done?!" he shouted at her, as if accusing her for having accrued magic in an unorthodox way. His deep voice frightened her further, but she mustered whatever strength she had to explain the best way she could, "I was sitting in front of the tree you and mother shared and I felt it. The Wind. Magic! Oh father, it was so beautiful! The flowers began turning colors and-"

"-Has anyone seen you?!" he said less angrily cutting her off, but his voice still ebbed with anxiety as he swiftly closed the chamber door for privacy.

"No," she answered honestly but with confusion. She couldn't understand why he was reacting like this to her newfound abilities. "I was alone when it happened."

"No one must know of this. No one must know you have magic! Do you understand me?!" Maurice said fearfully.

"There's nothing to fear Papa! Magic isn't bad. It's wonderful! Here, let me show-" Belle made an attempt to perform magic by raising her finger, but her father was much faster and quickly collapsed her hand by covering them with his own two.

"No child! Please…" begged Maurice as he found himself on his knees in front of her with his daughter's hand still in his. It was odd seeing her father at the mercy of her, but his humble gesture showed how sincere and serious the situation was. "Please understand," he implored as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed them. Her father was a very tall man and despite him being on his knees he was still able to look Belle in the eyes. "I'm not embarrassed by you." His voice was much more subdued than previous as he tried to compose himself in front of her. "This kingdom is still under King French's rule, your grandfather. And while he is still king, there will be no magic. It is forbidden by his ruling."

"But… _why_ is having magic bad? It doesn't make any sense. Is my magic bad?" Belle asked while looking down at her father. Tears began falling from her face. How could something so beautiful be so horrible? It broke her heart to see her father upset and it broke his heart to see her cry.

"It's not your magic that's bad," he said as he reached for his handkerchief and began gently drying her face, "it's all magic. For every good thing magic brings, something bad always comes with it. There was once magic here but it cost many of our citizens' lives to have it. That is why your grandfather forbids it."

"Magic won't be banned forever, will it? How can I learn to hide this from people if no one in this kingdom is even allowed to practice this?" Belle asked in between sniffles, her wavering confidence becoming more evident in her shaky voice. "What if grandfather finds out? What will become of me? Will I be thrown in the dungeons forever?"

"That will never happen. Have patience sweetheart," he said assuredly as he brought her close for comforting hug. "I will find a way for you to hide your magic. I will protect you. Your grandfather will never harm you. I will make sure of that."

Belle couldn't sleep that night. Her body surged with magic which felt like an insatiable itch she just couldn't scratch. She thought about her mother. So much mystery was shrouded about her. Was that the reason why she abandoned them, because of magic? Did she know that Belle possessed it? All these abandonment dreams and possessing magic, were they all somehow related to one another?

The following morning, she got dressed as usual. As the maids helped her into her corset she looked around her room imagining the different possible good uses for magic. She could magic items to come to her. She could have doors open for her without the use of physical labor. She could conjure sweets into the palm of her hand if she so desired. As she thought of the things she could do, her eyes caught sight of her hair brush on her vanity table. The brush wiggled on its own accord and she fought against every fiber of her being to prevent it from moving. With great effort she closed her eyes to make it so that the brush would quit moving and when she opened them the brush stopped moving. If magic was this sensitive to her wills and if the simple act of controlling a hair brush took incredible effort, then she was doomed to present herself in her grandfather's court room.

…

Belle stood next to her father in their usual spots in the court room. With her magic, she already felt a bit on edge and looked to her father for reassurance. He looked just about as good as she felt. Maurice appeared much paler than usual and did his best to compose himself appropriately in front of his father who approached them again. He performed his usual bow and she, her practiced curtsey when King French turned sternly at her. After her curtsey, she looked up into his usual disappointed face and heard him say embarrassingly in front of the entire court, "I see nothing but your witch-mother. You are no grand-daughter of mine."

He pivoted swiftly and continued on down the court as Belle stewed angrily. Her blood boiled as she absorbed the insult. Each day a new insult, a new form of criticism that no one, not even her own father could save her from. Her father was right. She looked just like her mother and that was why he was always upset when he looked at her. Suddenly she realized, nobody was going to defend her mother's honor. So Belle took it upon herself to do it. Insulted and without thinking she stepped out of line and into the aisle. In a huff she said defiantly and clearly at her grandfather, "I'm glad."

"Pardon me?" said King French as he turned to face his granddaughter who was standing in front of him in the middle of the aisle.

"Belle-!" reached Maurice, but Belle was just out of arm's reach. King French waved a hand to dismiss his son, silencing him so that Belle could continue her piece.

"I'm glad I look nothing like you!" As Belle spoke the ground tremored. "My mother may not be here to defend herself, but I am. Unlike you, she was a kind person." The windows in the hall of the court room started rattling. "And our kingdom needs more good people like her. You may not want to believe it, but you're afraid of me because I'm like her." One by one the latches broke free from their hinges. "Sorry to disappoint you _grandfather_ …" The first set of windows blew open. "… but I…" Second set of windows blew open. "…am…" Third set. "…your flesh and blood…"

At Belle's last words the entire hall fell prey to a miniature cyclone which blew through the open windows. Belle's eyes glowed, but nobody saw it as the wind whipped into everyone's eyes. King French's face stretched and then paled out of complete fear and disbelief. Belle stood stoically in front of her grandfather unmoved by the wind when suddenly she noticed the King grab at his chest. His heart had failed him and he was in pain. He fell to his knees. It wasn't until she saw his eyes roll to the back of his skull as he collapsed to the ground that she realized what she had done. At that moment of realization, the wind suddenly ceased and everything that was once in the air fell to the ground.

Although Belle didn't like her grandfather very much, it didn't mean that she didn't still care for his well-being. After seeing what she had done she called out to her grandfather, "Grandfather?!"

The people of the court looked around the room in bewilderment when suddenly a scream erupted from within the crowd. People began pointing at the fallen king when gentlemen of the court began shouting, "The King! The King!" The king's guards rushed to his side barking orders, "Where's the court physician? You! Stand back!"

The people of the court started dispersing from their uniformed rows which made escaping the court room incredibly challenging as well as chaotic. Maurice reacted swiftly and in the blink of an eye he scooped Belle up into his arms. Being the tall man that he was, he was able to see above the crowd and managed to navigate easily out of the room before anyone knew to stop him. With Belle in tow, Maurice proceeded to leave the castle, dodging noblemen and women along the way.

"Papa! Papa what are you doing? Where are we going?!" Belle asked, but Maurice said nothing.

People ran through the halls to get to the courtroom to save the king while Maurice dodged people going the opposite direction with his daughter. He said nothing until they were at the stables, safe and distant from all of the noise and commotion. "I killed him didn't I? I killed him!" Belle asked hysterically, but her voice was in a state of panic as Maurice hoisted her onto the horse. After securing the saddles around the horse he quickly got onto the horse himself and ordered, "Hush now! We will have plenty of time to speak when we're on the road. It's not safe to speak here."

The moment Maurice finished his sentence, they took off on the one horse and immediately placed some distance away from the castle. As they galloped away, Belle silently observed the horse they were riding on. Apparently, since the revealing of her magic from yesterday, her father had been busy. The horse had what appeared to be at least a few days' worth of supplies and food rations, but with the additional empty caddies it seemed like the horse was prepared to host at least a few more. Once they were within a comfortable distance, Maurice exhaled a sigh of relief and explained, "Magic may not exist within the walls of our kingdom, but it does exist out here. I had planned on taking you out here the moment I had enough supplies to last us a week, but with the accident… well, we had to take off prematurely. I'm sorry. We have only a few days' rations so we must move quickly."

"But Papa, people will know I killed the king," said Belle worriedly.

"You did no such thing. It was an accident. The wind that blew through the halls probably reminded him of the great storms that caused our kingdom incredible grief a year ago and the trauma and memory that revisited him today was what killed him."

"I killed him with my magic," grieved Belle with incredible remorse. "I don't want magic anymore."

"I know, my dear. That's why we're out here. Wish upon the Blue Star tonight and hopefully the Blue Fairy will come to our aid."

Maurice created a campfire for the two that night and they did their best to settle down. While sitting on a nearby stump, Belle looked up longingly at the night sky, searching desperately for the blue star her father wanted her to wish upon. "Papa, they'll be looking for us. You're-you're their king now. You have responsibilities," reminded Belle.

"I know the guard will be searching for me, but because we left right away we have that much of a head start. I may be the king now, but at this moment I have only one responsibility and that's being a good father to you. Taking care of you takes immediate precedence above all else."

Belle was touched by the heartfelt comment and smiled. Suddenly they were interrupted by a strange voice coming from within the darkness. "Aww… how sweet…"

Both father and daughter jumped at the voice and turned suddenly at the sound. A short statured man with wavy hair and enchanted gold skin moved slowly around a tree. Belle could see the clear details of his outfit as he stepped closer to the campfire's light. He donned a peculiar crocodile skin suit which jetted out at odd angles accentuating his already bold and aggressive forwardness. The tightly bound knee-length leather boots suggested his superfluous nature as well as his inclination to travel. If his foreign attire wasn't disturbing enough, his sinister voice completed the dark ominous presence he was trying to project and it made both father and daughter feel completely unnerved. His sudden presence caused Maurice and Belle to stand up immediately as if ready to run at the first sign of danger. The strange man continued, "…but how curious? A runaway King and Princess rejoining the land of magic… congratulations on your promotion, by the way. I'm sure your kingdom is thrilled. Tell me, when did you realize how incredibly dull your kingdom was?"

"Who-who are you?" Belle asked bravely. The strange man went to approach her when Maurice swiftly placed his body protectively between them.

"Stay away from her, Rumplestiltskin!" he demanded of the imp.

The imp recoiled at Maurice's staunch position and agreed, "You're right. Not quite ripe yet." He turned away from the two and continued, "Well, at least my name hasn't been completely forgotten in your magic-less kingdom. Your father has gone through great lengths to make sure of that. Alas, the reason why my magical abilities only extend to those desperate enough to want it, like yourselves…" Rumplestiltskin continued looking back and forth curiously between father and daughter, but more so at Belle. The way Rumplestiltskin squinted and stared at Belle felt strangely similar to how her mother would study her, like she knew something she didn't. Belle found him equally curious and found herself gawking at him from around her father's side. "You seem lost," observed Rumplestiltskin. "Shall I draw up a map for you?"

"Yeah? At what price?" Maurice retorted sarcastically. "A limb? My kingdom? I shall not partake in whatever business you offer."

"Oh, but you will," Rumplestiltskin said playfully as he glanced again over at Belle. "And when that day comes you'll want to take my deal." He said as he disappeared in front of them and then was suddenly beside them. "And since we'll be future business partners, this one is on the house… Or, really, an investment in our future together."

Rumplestiltskin pointed to a log by the campfire and in a cloud of purple smoke a sheet of parchment appeared before them. "Use it, don't use it, doesn't matter to me, but something tells me that you will," instructed Rumplestiltskin as he emphasized every other word with a gesture. "This map will lead you to whatever you desire. Just call out your desire and the map will direct you to where you need to go. Once you've reached your destination the paper will disappear, for that is price of magic, dearies."

Confused by his generosity, Belle had to inquire, "I don't understand. Why are you helping us?"

"It's as I've said before, we will be working together. I sense…," he said as he got close to Belle, never touching her but inspecting her intensely. "…a great future between us." She could feel his eyes penetrate her soul. Within that gaze that paralyzed her, she saw in his eyes and in a flash a flicker of brown. It was odd, intense, and incredibly revealing. In that brief and intimate moment, she saw past his reptilian eyes and saw… warmth. He was human. Or, at least he was one once. _What happened? How did he get this way?_ Belle wondered. The moment Rumplestiltskin blinked the gold in his eyes returned and at his last words he disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke. Although he had disappeared, an image of his eyes still burned in her mind.

The moment he left, Maurice moved immediately over to the parchment on the log and lifted it up. Maurice barely glanced at the sheet before crumpling up the paper. As he stared into the fire, Belle could tell what he was about to do next and moved forward to stop him. "Stop! That may be our only hope at curing me!"

"You do not understand that beast! He sells trickery for the benefit of himself. Nothing good can come from this," he replied firmly. He was about to toss the paper when Belle placed both of her hands over his arm.

"Wait!" she pleaded. "Why would he harm us if he intends on doing business with us in the future?"

"Another game! Another trick! That's how his scheme works. This trick will only make matters worse, which will lead us into asking for his help again in the future."

"I didn't get that impression from him," claimed Belle. She knew she should have felt scared, but for some reason she wasn't frightened of the strange man. Not in the slightest. Instead, she had felt an unusual connection to him. Whatever it was, she was compelled to trust Rumplestiltskin.

"That is because you are still young and naïve," stated Maurice.

"Papa… my dreams of mother… and then having magic. It can't all have been a coincidence." She could tell that he was still weighing on a decision so she continued. "My powers have already killed grandfather. What if I hurt you next? What if I had hurt mother and not even know it? What if that was the reason she left?"

"No! You didn't hurt your mother," he said assuredly. "And that was not the reason why she left."

"Then why am I having these dreams of her abandoning me and why do I have magic now? There has got to be a reason this is all happening to me now." Belle turned to her father who appeared to be just as distressed if not worse than she was. "Papa, I don't want this. I don't want magic. I don't want to hurt anybody and I don't want these dreams of mother. I don't want to remember any of this…"

Suddenly, black ink appeared on the crumpled parchment in Maurice's hands.

"Papa… look!" exclaimed Belle as she pointed at the ball of paper. Maurice unfolded the paper and a map revealed itself to them.

"I don't understand," said Maurice quizzically as he inspected the newly drawn map.

"It's as he said… it's pointing in the direction of a desired direction."

"But you were only claiming out loud what you didn't want."

"Perhaps, what I want is what I don't want. I think this map is showing us of my desire to rid my abilities and where I can get rid of it." Belle could see the decision wavering in her father's face and continued, "Look, it's only half a day away. I'll continue looking for the Blue Star but in the meantime, if we get there and it doesn't cure me then we'll return home. Ok?" Belle hugged her father tightly and encouraged, "I know you'll find a way to help me, Papa. As long as I'm with you, I will be ok."

Maurice accepted her hug and hugged her tightly back. "Alright, my dear. Alright. We'll go." With the enchanted parchment still in hand he glanced down at his daughter, still unsure whether the decision he made was still the right thing to do.

…

They left at first light the following morning. After the ordeal they had both gone through they needed a moment to retire and reflect about the adventure they were about to undertake. Belle was able to close her eyes but was never able to drift out of consciousness. When they both realized they couldn't sleep they gathered their belongings and took to the enchanted map for guidance.

When the sun rose at midday they stopped to eat. By mid-afternoon their personal dot, which blinked on the map verifying their location indicated their close proximity of Belle's desired location. Where the map was leading them, both Belle and Maurice weren't certain, but what they were sure of was that the location was along a peaceful winding river. To pass the time Belle thought about the magical world they were walking through.

She had read about gnomes, elves, dwarves, and nymphs, but never had she heard of Rumplestiltskin. _What kind of creature was he?_ She wondered. He wasn't like any of the creatures she had ever read about in her library at home. Belle wondered about him and deduced, that if he wasn't a magical creature then he was simply an enchanted man; an ordinary man consumed by magic just like her. Belle knew exactly what it felt like to be an ordinary person consumed completely by magic. That's all she was experiencing at the moment. Out of all the fantastical things she and her father had come across on their journey, Rumplestiltskin was the closest person she had related to the most. If she chose to keep her magic would she turn out like him? Would that be her future? She thought of nothing but Rumplestiltskin and it consumed her mind throughout most of the trip until she and her father had finally neared their destination by the slowly bubbling river.

"Are we there yet? What does the map say?" inquired Belle as she walked beside her father. With the reigns of the horse in one hand and the map in the other her father replied, "According to the map we should be… here."

Both father and daughter paused beneath a willow tree and looked around the serene area for a mystical creature of some sort. The map disintegrated in Maurice's hands marking their official arrival to their destination. When nothing revealed itself to them Belle called out into the calm woods, "Hello? Hello, is anybody there?"

 _You do not have to shout. I may be old but I am a great listener._

Belle and Maurice continued searching for the source of the sound, but were still baffled by the entity who had replied.

"Show yourself," Maurice commanded, but nothing moved. Belle leaned on the willow tree that was close by when a voice responded again and said,

 _Your hand does feel lovely my dear, but I would prefer it to not be right on my face._

"Oh!" said Belle, startled by the sudden recognition of the sound's source. It was willow tree! Belle could feel movement of the bark beneath her hand and quickly removed it. The tree suddenly stirred and somehow through the stiffness of the bark smiled kindly to her. Knots within the trunk turned into eyes and a featured bulbous area revealed a recognizable nose. "I'm so terribly sorry," apologized Belle.

 _Not to worry my dear. Many creatures like to rest against me, but none are as polite or considerate as you._

The compliment made her smile as Maurice asked the tree, "Madam…"

 _Please, call me Grandmother Willow._

"Grandmother Willow… my daughter has been stricken by magic. We're not accustomed to it in our kingdom and we are trying to discreetly rid her of this affliction."

 _Awww, how unfortunate of you to view it that way. To destroy what is beautiful because you view it as ugly._ The willow tree pitied.

"Grandmother Willow, I've already hurt somebody with my magic. I don't ever want to hurt another person again. I am the one that doesn't want magic."

 _Oh?_

"Please," begged Belle. "You must have a way to accomplish what I seek."

 _I do, but what you ask involves matters of the heart and what the heart says doesn't necessarily coincide with what the mind wants. Place your hand on my bark and allow me to count your rings and sense your magic._

Belle tentatively did as was instructed and nervously touched the bark of the tree. The moment her skin touched the tree part of her hand transformed into bark and became part of the tree itself. Belle gasped at the strange sight to which the tree replied,

 _Have no fear child. It is only your magic_.

Neither Belle nor Maurice had any clue as to what was happening, but for the time being they both had little choice but to trust the willow tree.

 _You are a child of the forest… grounded, planted, firm… with the wisdom of trees. Always patient and always listening. You never judge another creature and instead allow them to reveal their true nature to you. You draw your strength from what is etched upon you, much like the written words in the pages of books._

"What does that mean?" Belle wondered as she withdrew her hand. In seconds, her hand transitioned back into her own skin.

 _It means that knowledge is your source of power. Have you ever wondered why reading has been so easy for you? Or why you are able to pick up on every written language? That is because the material itself comes from the trees and naturally, you absorb it like the young sapling you are, ever thirsty and ever eager to grow. Your element – is Earth. That is the element in which your magic derives from. Tell me again, young sapling, why do you seek to destroy this gift?_

All the information was a lot to take in for Belle and she wavered in her wanting to sacrifice her powers. As she replied she stuttered, "I-I… well, what I have has killed somebody I care about. Somebody very close. I don't want it to happen to anybody else ever again."

 _Such absolute words from such a young sapling. Ah well, it is your choice. Here take these vines and nimble branches…_

Grandmother Willow lowered her branches to Belle and offered the material she needed making it easily accessible to her. Belle gently pulled at the long vines and small twigs and listened as the tree continued.

 _...with this that I give you, you are to make yourself a dreamcatcher by using your magic._

"A dreamcatcher? I've never even seen one before," stated Belle.

 _Use your mind's eye and trust in your instincts. Take the dreamcatcher and rest it by your head when you fall asleep. When you wake up you will forget to believe._

"Forget to believe? Grandmother, I don't understand," Belle asked quizzically.

 _I cannot take your magic away. You must choose to dream it away. Only you will decide when to dream it back._

"Dream it back? How can someone dream magic back?" asked Maurice.

 _A dream is a wish your heart makes. Her heart must be ready to believe in it once again._

"…dream my magic away, but I'll still have my magic," pointed out Belle.

 _It will seem like you never had it, but one day you will dream about it again. It is a lot easier to change a dream than to change a belief._

Belle looked ready to get started and began walking away from the tree with her father when the willow warned,

 _Magic is part of you. When you forget about it, you will forget that part of yourself. You will not be the same as a result of it. It does not do well to dwell on a dream._

Despite the caution, both Belle and Maurice left the serene riverside and proceeded back to the castle. They rode as far as they could until they became exhausted and decided to camp one more night. A lot plagued their minds and wore them down significantly.

For Maurice, part of the reason why he wanted to rest before re-entering his kingdom was because he knew of what he would be returning to. For a moment he felt a pang of guilt for leaving so abruptly, but then he felt that by leaving he did the right thing. The way he saw it, Belle was more important than his kingdom. She was all he had of Mary Poppins and that fact made him miss her even more so. Maurice began to cry silently to himself.

So much had happened in such a short period of time; his daughter discovering magic, his father dying, him and Belle escaping the kingdom. Beneath his closed eyes he saw the inevitable pressure that he would be inheriting. He had to go back to reality and assure to his people the state of his kingdom. By now he figured his guards were somewhere outside of his kingdom searching for them. So in the little time he had for peace and quiet, Maurice took advantage of it and rested because he knew full well that at any moment the sound of horse hooves would be coming for them down the main highway.

Belle sat by the dwindling fire and stared at the vine and twigs Grandmother Willow had given her. She had no idea what a dreamcatcher was. Whatever the item was, she had to create it by using her own magic. Belle wished she had her library with her to do the proper research, but she knew what it meant. It meant returning to her castle where magic was forbidden. Perhaps with her father being king things would change and people would be more accepting of magic. However, Belle knew that such a change would take time for people to get accustomed to. Time in which she could potentially hurt another person she cared about. Belle couldn't take the chance. Without causing a schism within her kingdom Belle decided to take Grandmother Willow's offer and try to create the dreamcatcher. Her father had mentioned that they were fairly close to home, about a half day's ride to be exact which meant that time was of the essence. Whatever it was that she needed to figure out she needed to figure it out tonight.

Belle thought back to what the tree had said, _"…_ _grounded… elemental magic… Earth… wisdom of trees… power from knowledge…"_

"This is hopeless!" huffed Belle angrily to herself as she threw the vine and twigs down on the ground in frustration. Nothing she was repeating in her head was helping. Belle stewed in frustration. What she was trying to believe in was something she knew she would only just forget about later, so why even bother? No matter what options Belle had they both seemed to end in disappointment. But if it was completely pointless then why go through all this trouble at all? The truth of her dilemma was that deep in her heart she didn't want to lose her magic.

 _What did Grandmother Willow say, that by losing magic I would also be losing a part of myself?_ Belle thought to herself. She was troubled by the implications of that. With all the dialogue and confliction filling her head Belle became inundated with doubt and disbelief.

 _That's it!_ In order for her magic to work she just needed to do the opposite. She needed to have hope and believe in her magic, but what did she hope for? As Belle thought about it, she realized that she hoped for a brighter future, one in which didn't include accidentally killing someone. She hoped for her father to have a long and prosperous reign. She wished and wanted her father to be happy. Ever since her mother had left she had rarely seen him smile anymore. Belle knew that she looked like her mother and speculated that perhaps she was part of the cause for his misery. As much as Belle missed her mother, she knew that he missed her just as much maybe even more so. In light of that knowledge, Belle hoped to be a better supportive daughter to her father and sadly, she knew what that meant. It meant a willful sacrifice of her magic.

Belle willfully took up the vine and twigs and stared at them again. She filled her heart with determination and hoped for a better future for her father, not because she cared less about herself but because she loved her father more. With the mature decision in her mind and not knowing exactly what she was doing, she trusted in her magic to know what to do. She gathered the materials in her left hand and while waving her right hand over them called to the items and said, "Please show me my dreamcatcher."

As commanded, the vines slithered and wrapped while the twigs bent and twisted into a perfect circle. The twine weaved quickly forming a web within the newly made circle. It took all but seconds to make but Belle watched curiously as the item formed in her hands. When the dreamcatcher finished moving the residual length of the vines draped off the bottom of the circle forming four little leafy tails. "Papa! Papa it worked!" Maurice turned over on the ground to see what Belle was alluding to and quickly sat up in his bed. "It's a dreamcatcher," she said as she showed the item to her father. Belle looked to her father's astonished face and back to the dreamcatcher. "Now what do I do?"

"Well," said Maurice as he got up from his bed to sit next to Belle on hers. "According to the tree, you are to just simply dream away your magic."

Belle held the dreamcatcher close against her chest and replied with great trepidation, "Papa, if I do this… I won't be the same. I don't want to lose myself."

"You won't lose yourself," he assured her. "That tree may know a lot, but she was wrong about one thing… Magic does not define you as a person. Your actions are what define you, and no matter what you decide to do I will always love you."

"…hold me," requested Belle. Maurice happily did as was requested of him and wrapped his huge arm protectively around her. As he did so she gently rested her head on his lap and prepared to fall asleep. He stared into the glowing embers and asked while she closed her eyes, "And what will you be dreaming about, my darling?"

With eyes closed, Belle answered, "…of a world where these past few days never happened, when I didn't have or know anything about my magic."

* * *

 **Hey guys! Happy OUAT day! We made it! This chapter was by far my favorite to write. I really did enjoy all the elements that were at play here. Could you tell? Anyways, somehow I had found my writing wind this past week and am now currently working on the very last chapter to this story! We're there. Can you believe it? I couldn't believe it myself when suddenly I had written four chapters in like seven days. You know, sometimes even I impress myself. This is all great news for you guys because that means, more chapter postings per week as opposed to the once a week. Once I finish this last chapter, I will be binge editing like a crazy person and posting as soon as possible.**

 **Well done to all of you loyal readers who have stuck with me this summer. All of your comments and reviews have really carried me through this story and are what push me to continue writing. Thank you. And thank you to Actress10, Grace5231973, and ladybugsmomma. You guys rock my socks. Seriously. Well, see you all next chapter. I, personally, can't wait to watch the Rumbelle portions during tonight's episode! So stoked.**


	20. An Overdue Familial Connection

**_…_** ** _Storybrooke. Game of Thorns flower shop. Present day..._**

"So all this time… I've just stopped believing in magic because I took away my own memories of it," Belle repeated back. The story her father told was within the realm of possibility but she just couldn't wrap her head around her recollection of it. She looked at her father quizzically and questioned, "So how do I get those memories back?"

"I would imagine that in order to get those moments back you would have to just start believing in your magic again. You would have to start believing in yourself," suggested Neal, but it was a tall order for Belle to accept.

"Do you still have the original dreamcatcher?" asked Belle, but she knew half-heartedly what the response would be. So much time, curses and moving had happened since then. Even Belle had to admit to herself that it would be extremely unlikely for her father to have kept that relic.

Maurice felt helpless to give his daughter the answer she wanted and replied to Belle's dissatisfaction, "I'm sorry, my dear. It was created with your magic. It disappeared sometime after the curse hit." He saw the disappointment in Belle's face and tried to comfort her by saying, "But I believe in you. You'll have your magic back."

"No! I-I can't be magical. I'm not magical. I'm normal. A normal human being," denied Belle as she stepped away from the rest of the group to collect her thoughts. She walked over to a vacant part of the shop and leaned up against the wall. With her backed turned, she could feel everyone's eyes looking at her as if she was suffering from some sort of mental breakdown.

Mary strode over to her daughter and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Belle flinched at the touch but then relaxed as she realized who it was. "You _are_ human, Belle. Your best part, but…" Belle turned to find Mary looking kindly back at her. "…you are also _this_. It is possible to be both."

Just when the focus of attention was on Belle, Neal felt his skin morphing between himself and his father. He keeled over in pain from the transition and immediately looked down at his hand to evaluate his condition.

"Neal!" called out Emma as she stepped forward to catch him in case he collapsed again. Killian did the same and they both came to his aid to support him. Killian and Emma glanced at each other for guidance as if unsure of what to expect or do next. Without saying a word Neal reached for a different pocket and plucked out another vial. After consuming its contents, his body returned to his form. With a concerned and nervous exhale, he replied, "That shouldn't have happened. In my world that one dose should have lasted me another day or so

"So what does that mean?" asked Killian.

"That I don't have a lot of time here," answered Neal.

"His father, or at least the body he's sharing it with, was not meant to be here," explained Mary further.

"I have another theory," interrupted Neal as he raised his finger to interject. "I've noticed that Magic here is much different than it is in my universe."

"That may be true, but the fact remains, your father does not have much time here in this universe," cautioned Mary strictly.

"I think I may be able to help," offered Belle from behind her mother as she rejoined the group. Everyone in the room turned to her in surprise as she continued, "I have to remember how to believe in magic… _my_ magic, and I think I may know who can help me."

"Who?" asked Emma.

"Rumplestiltskin," answered Belle admittedly. "I still have to find my daughter and since he is the only other person we know for certain that has magic, he may be the only person who can..." Belle gulped and then finished, "…help me remember." She turned to Neal and suggested, "Perhaps his knowledge can help create a potion that's sustainable for you in our universe."

Just as Belle finished her sentence, Emma's cell phone rang in her back pocket. She looked down at the phone's screen and said, "It's Regina."

Emma clicked a button on her phone to accept the call and replied, "Regina…" Everyone in the room listened and waited in silence as Emma listened to Regina over the phone. "…say that again…" The tone of Emma's response quickly turned serious. "…how can that be she's dead…" Emma's face blanched as her voice warped quickly to panic and dread.

Without hearing both sides of the conversation, Neal knew exactly who they were referring to and jumped to Emma's side to listen in, "…it's Zelena, isn't it?"

"Zelena?" questioned Killian as he too stepped closer to Emma's side.

Emma raised a hand to silence the two as Emma craned her ears to hear what Regina was saying. She continued, "…Henry's at the shop with his grandfather. He's safe… What about Neal?"

" _Me?_ " called back Neal Cassidy in confusion.

Emma raised her finger to silence him again as she tried to listen to Regina over the phone. "…Ok. Ok, I'll tell my parents. I'll keep you informed as soon as anything comes up." As soon as she ended the phone call she looked up to find everyone staring expectantly at her. All of Neal's worse suspicions had just been confirmed. "…Zelena's back."

"How? She's been dead for eight years," said Killian with absolute disbelief.

"Not your Zelena. The Zelena from my universe and I think… I'm to blame," clarified Neal. Everyone turned to Neal as he explained further, "Zelena exists in my universe. When Lily and I tried to get back here, she had some trouble. She said she needed more power, so she used something from the shop. Damn, if only we had listened to Belle. Sorry! I mean, the Belle from my universe."

"It's alright," said Belle, understanding his wanting to be clear. She could only imagine how disorienting all of this was for Neal.

Emma turned to her cell phone and immediately tried to contact her parents to locate them. While she did that, Belle looked hesitantly towards Neal. She remembered their time spent together in the Enchanted Forest. She recalled the moments they shared together and the friendship that was made during their search to bring Rumple back. She wondered about what might had been of their friendship if the Neal from this universe had still been alive. Out of curiosity, she asked, "In your universe… all those years without Rumple, you and uh, my counterpart must have gotten… pretty close."

"As close as any relationship could be with my father being the one thing we had in common." Neal could see the wheels turn in Belle's head as he assured her by clarifying, "For the past eight years I would say that our relationship was… familial. More like brother-sister than stepmother-stepson, if you know what I mean."

"Of course," understood Belle as she nodded her head. The question felt uncomfortable so she quickly changed it by thinking about the mysterious item Lily used to propel them back into her universe. She turned to Neal and inquired, "The item Lily used… do you remember what the item looked like, the item that amplified Lily's magic?"

"It was a necklace with a giant emerald as the center piece." Neal shook his head in shame. He felt bad for not having made the connection before. As he ran his fingers nervously through his hair, he cursed at himself again, "Damn! I should have known that the jewelry belonged to Zelena. She must have magically piggy-backed on it somehow."

Emma's phone call to her parents ended quickly as she interrupted Belle and Neal's conversation. "Belle… according to Regina, Zelena's been using Lily's magic to do her bidding." Everyone looked to Belle to gage her reaction and Belle looked to her mother and then back to everyone else with the look of dread. With Lily's unpredictable and unstable magic, anything was possible and at the hands of an evil sorceress it did not look promising for the heroes. Emma continued, "I've got to go. My brother is missing and with Zelena on the loose he's in danger. My parents are starting to freak out. So Killian and I going to go help my parents find him."

"Other than Zelena using Lily for her magic, did Regina mention anything else about Lily? Like, where they were heading? Or, what they were intending on doing?" inquired Neal, wondering about his own sibling.

Emma shook her head gravely. "According to Regina, Zelena was manipulating Lily to torture Robin in front of her at the Sheriff's station. She didn't mention what Zelena's intentions were or where they were going, but I would imagine that she's still after the same thing. She wants to go and rewrite the timeline."

"That's exactly what she intends on doing," confirmed Neal. "Let me come with you. If there's anybody who Lily will listen to she'll listen to me. Besides, if Zelena is in town, it'll only be a matter of time before she'll be coming after me next. She still needs to siphon my father away from my body in order to complete her spell and I have a feeling that she might use Lily to do just that," said Neal as Emma and Killian both made their way to exit the shop. Neal made his way to follow after Emma, but was stopped abruptly as Mary touched Neal's arm. The touch caused him to stop and turn to her. Calmly and knowingly she encouraged, "It will all work out for you. Your father already has a plan to help you."

Neal nodded acknowledging Mary's comment and then followed after Emma and Killian out the Flower Shop's door. Neal wasn't sure how Mary knew his father, but knowing her character he figured that there was a lot that she knew that he didn't. Once the shop emptied itself of a few people, Belle stepped cautiously to her mother and asked, "…And how could you possibly know _that_?"

Mary appeared reserved in her thoughts but then decided against withholding any information from Belle. Mary knew that Belle was always skeptical of her which was the wedge that divided them. Belle saw this and her jaw dropped. While aghast Belle shared her observations out loud and said, "…You still have magic! Don't you? You lied to me."

"Poppy-cock! I don't go gallivanting about town spouting magic spells or incantations if that's what you're insinuating. A mother's intuition should never be doubted."

"C'mon mother, you know that's not what I'm talking about. Could you once in your life just be straight-forward with me?! You know, I think you just choose to not use your magic."

"I should say the same for you!" countered Mary while also raising her voice.

"Ladies! Ladies!" interrupted Maurice. It hurt him to see his two loves argue and stepped in between them to intervene. At Maurice's gesture for peace, Belle immediately silenced herself and crossed her arms indignantly. Even Mary took a breath as she stepped back from the argument to compose herself. Belle glimpsed at her mother and noticed her cheeks were flushed with frustration. She knew her mother was stern, but she had never seen her mother this argumentative. Upon seeing Maurice's displeasure Mary withdrew her angry disposition and returned quickly to a calmer more collective state. In a lowered voice, Mary apologized instantly, "Forgive me. I shouldn't have done that."

"Yes," replied Belle contradictorily, matching her mother's subdued voice as well. "Yes actually, you should have. Did you know that this was the first time you were honest with me? You know, it's ok to be out of control every once in a while. It's ok to raise your voice and be imperfect because this is what families do, they argue. This is how we work things out with each other… through honest dialogue, not with magic. This is part of what being human is."

"And that, my dear, is precisely the reason and proof that the Impossible Possible spell worked. I am mortal now and if you had not noticed I am taking on more human-like qualities, like anger… and sadness, as well as frustration," mentioned Mary as she looked to Maurice for support. He gave her an encouraging nod as she continued, "As I live… with each passing day without magic I find myself changing. I am becoming more… _flawed_."

It was strange for Belle to see her mother open up her vulnerabilities to her like this and it was comforting. Belle gently assured, "And that's ok. Mother, being flawed is the most beautiful part about you and what I relate to the most."

"You'll still always be perfect to me," said Maurice as he gave Mary a gentle kiss on her cheek. Suddenly it occurred to Belle that she hadn't noticed any of the subtle changes within her mother. The truth was, was that she hadn't been around her mother long enough to notice the changes and had, in fact, been avoiding her. As Belle thought about what it was that she had been avoiding she realized that it was her mother's judgmental attitude. Mary was a reflection of Belle's possibilities, mirroring to her the seemingly impossible things that she could become. It was all overwhelming to her and something Belle wasn't ready to confront with yet, but now she was ready. Perhaps, Belle thought, it was time to get to know her finally. So she decided determinedly, that once Zelena was captured and Lily was safe in her arms she would spend more time to connect with mother.

Part of Belle felt guilty for not having noticed, but as she looked at her mother's slightly wrinkled face she finally saw the beauty within her that everyone else saw. It had been a long time since Belle saw how magic changed somebody for the better. She instantly thought about Rumplestiltskin and how their True Love's Kiss initially broke his Dark One's curse. Her mind lingered as to how magical and truly special that moment was to her. As she loitered on the thought she realized how much magic was part of him and his existence. She couldn't help but draw a comparison between him and her mother.

When she had kissed Rumplestiltskin for the first time her whole world changed and for the first time she believed that magic could be used for good. Perhaps she could capture that same moment again, but with her own magic. As much as she had changed him she realized he had changed her as well. Belle looked to her mother and father as they looked at each other lovingly. So many sacrifices were done in the name of love. She had sacrificed her magic and royalty to save her father and kingdom. Her father sacrificed his relationship with her mother to protect her and their kingdom from the storms. Mary sacrificed a relationship with her daughter to protect her and Rumplestiltskin. Rumplestiltskin sacrificed his magic so that he could live happily ever after with her and their family outside of Storybrooke. Belle loved Lily and it made her wonder. With all the examples she had just presented herself with, what kind of sacrifice would she have to make in order to save Lily from herself?

Mary looked up almost regretfully at Belle and continued, "Belle, whether you believe it or not you are a deity, and what makes you a deity is your legendary persistence for good. You bring a balance to everything." Mary glanced at Maurice again and with an exhausted sigh stepped forward toward Belle. No more dodging and denying, Mary thought it was finally time to admit to Belle her actual condition and said, "I do still retain a bit of my old magic, but that is because I understand all too well the nature of it."

Belle wanted to be shocked, but for some reason she wasn't surprised. Mary continued, "Children are my specialty. They are the real life glimpses into our own imaginations playing out what we only dare to dream of. Adults share this too, but rarely are they privy to this kind of insight. It is because they are trapped by their own decorum they've set out for themselves in their minds and it is in these rules that children don't play by. That is why their magic is as potent as it is. When children share my story, a little bit of love is given to my name and that energy has to go somewhere. That is how I am still empowered… I am remembered." Mary paused briefly as she intuitively sensed Belle's dilemma. Before Belle could even think of a response, Mary asked disjunctively, "You're wondering about Lily, aren't you?"

Belle's mouth fell open over the precision of the comment. Mary was using her powers on Belle to help her. To be fair, Belle's original intention for her arrival to the Flower Shop was to find her daughter, but now that the witch was loose in town it was out of concern for Lily's safety. Lily was still missing and with the sudden realization over her deity magic Belle closed her mouth and silently nodded. Almost prophetically Mary said, "There will be a great sacrifice shared between you and your husband for the sake of Lily. Just like your father and I have done. As I have mentioned before, her magic is unique because of its combined deity and fairy tale magic. So it stands to reason, that it will also take the combined magic of yours and your husband's to help her."

Belle noticed her mother's choice words of _helping_ her versus _finding_ her. It was as if Mary knew that Belle's biggest problem wouldn't be in finding her daughter again, but in saving her. Belle questioned, "But mother, where do I even begin? How do I remember again?"

"Your father already told you of your story's beginning. That would be the best place to start reflecting. Seek out your husband. He can guide you further in your self-discovery. You must pick up where the story of your magic ended. Go back to the source of your strength. Go to your books. Then go find the tree that first told you about the nature of your magic."

"Grandmother Willow? But-but she only existed in the Enchanted Forest."

"Ah, but that is where your particular brand of magic will come into play. You must use your imagination. That is where magic hides. Think back to the hope you had as a child and you will rediscover it for yourself. You will see." Mary saw that Belle still looked confused and said, "Although we are mother and daughter our deity magic is quite different. I'm afraid that has always been our way. You learn much better when you figure things out for yourself."

Belle was given a lot to consider as she made her way out the Flower shop door. She opened the door and while in the door way's threshold her mother said, "Remember… Rumplestiltskin believes in you. Keep that in mind when you confront him again."

Belle nodded as she left the Flower shop, closing the door behind her. Belle needed to finish her story, she needed to regain her magic, but in order to do that she needed to make amends with her husband first. As she made her way back to the Pawn shop she thought of the various scenarios and ways the conversation she needed to have would play itself out.

* * *

 **Almost done with the final chapter. Thanks for your patience. And thank you to Actress10, ladybugsmomma and Grace5231973 for you reviews! I'm glad you guys enjoyed it. Figured I'd throw some light to Belle's character from when she was younger. See you next chapter!**


	21. A Magician's Dispute

Belle left the Flower shop alone. There was quite a bit of distance between her father's shop and her husband's, but it still wasn't enough trek to flatten out the wallop of information that had just been thrown at her. She needed to find her daughter but in order to do that she needed to remember and understand her magic. She also needed to work with her husband, whom she was still upset with, and combine their strengths. Belle reflected on the story her father had just recently shared. The willow tree. Books. Magic. Dreamcatcher. Somehow they were all connected and she needed to figure out what it all meant in time before it was too late.

Belle felt conflicted. She wanted time to understand the mayhem that seemed to swarm around her, but unfortunately time was not on her side. By being with Zelena, every minute that passed was another minute her daughter was spending in danger. She walked quickly down Main Street, but not so fast that she couldn't catch up with her own thoughts. As she thought back to the story her father told, she couldn't help but realize that her Rumplestiltskin had encountered her before. Why hadn't he told her about their previous encounter? But then again, why was he hiding magic from her? Not like she could have done anything about it or take it away from him again. He had managed to find a way to keep it and despite her best attempts at ridding Storybrooke of it's magic, her whole family still has it. This whole situation frustrated her to no end. Between her mother and her husband not being forthcoming, she couldn't tell who she was more upset with.

She finally arrived at the Pawn Shop and opened the door. The front door bell jingled but nobody was around to greet her. "Hello?" called out Belle into the eerily empty shop. "Rumple? Henry? Is anybody here?"

Belle took another cautious step into the shop to search for them when suddenly a whirlwind of light and magical smoke appeared before her. When the magical cloud dissipated she saw standing before her both Rumplestiltskin and Henry. "Belle!" called back Henry and Rumple in unison.

Henry ran forward and hugged Belle. "Thank goodness your safe!" Henry immediately pulled away and explained his concern, "Zelena's alive and she's on the loose here in Storybrooke."

Henry gave some space for his grandfather to hug Belle, but immediately saw Belle's restraint. It was obvious to Rumple that she was still upset with him. Rumple saw her reluctance to be welcoming so he settled with a less than loving hug from her. As they briefly embraced Belle forced herself to not cave to her weak constitution by enjoying their embrace like she usually did whenever Rumple returned home from a business trip. She did her best to remain rigid. The truth was he hadn't just come home from a business trip, he was off gallivanting and doing things he knew she wouldn't have liked, so Belle stood her ground. "I know," she replied coldly.

"You know?" Rumple asked as he stepped back from Belle to get a better look at her. It was obvious from her standoffish position that she was still in distress.

Belle explained, "Regina called Emma while we were at my father's flower shop. Apparently Zelena is holding our daughter hostage and using her for her magic."

"That's not all. Grandpa has his dagger again," blurted out Henry interrupting their conversation. Much to the displeasure of his grandfather, Henry didn't want to hold anything back from Belle. Not anymore. He didn't want to hurt her like he did before and felt badly for having kept a secret from her in the first place. "He used the dagger to absorb the magic from Dorothy's silver slippers so now he can transport anywhere. It was how we got back home."

"Oh, really?" said Belle sarcastically and without surprise. She turned to Rumple and stared at him with a fierceness he had never seen from her before. Without blinking or removing her gaze from her husband she ordered, "Henry, your grandfather and I need to talk… privately."

Silence fell in the room and upon seeing that a quarrel was about to begin, Henry knew to give them plenty of space. He backed away slowly to the back room of the shop and said hesitantly, "I'll uh- I'll just um… call my moms… in the back room. Let them know we're ok..." Rumple nodded with a small glance over to his grandson, but remained silent and cool in his disposition. He could tell that Belle was upset, but was unsure as to what she was going to do next.

"For now…" added Belle threateningly as she waited for Henry to leave them alone in the room. Rumplestiltskin continued to stare at his wife in silence and waited for her to make the first move. Belle squared her jaw and asked with the look of upmost seriousness, "So, I can see that you found Cogsworth _and_ that you officially have magic back… again."

"Actually, Zelena has the watch now."

"Great," replied Belle cynically. "And uh, how long have you had magic?"

Rumple replied softly and truthfully, "Since we destroyed the Author last year."

"And… uh, when were you planning on telling me? Or were you just going to let me find out when everybody else did?"

Rumple could tell that Belle was looking to fight, a fight in which he didn't want to have but was reluctantly having. "Oh, like how you neglected to tell me that your mother was Mary Poppins."

"No, you don't get to be angry here! I do! You are deflecting because you know that for whatever reason you have for your deviousness, I'm not going to like the answer."

"You're right. You weren't going to like the answer because no matter what I would have said you have immediately dismissed them as controversial and closed up any opportunity to better ourselves. You wouldn't have understood my intentions."

"Better ourselves?! Rumple…," huffed Belle in frustration as she shook her head in disgust. Suddenly, Belle changed her tone and chuckled facetiously. While over-exaggerating her clarity, she said, "Oh, ok. I see. So that's the truth. Now I'm _really_ beginning to see things more clearly."

" _Are you?_ Because based off of our last conversation in regards to magic, you still don't understand your powers. While I, on the other hand, understand mine all too well."

"Oh yeah, and what is that?"

"That magic is part of who we are."

"And who decides that? The Author?!"

"Well certainly not you."

"Rumple, we are not fairy tale characters! We are real people!"

"And that, my dear, is where you are sorely mistaken. How else do you explain why there are dozens of stories about us in this world? Or why magic is so real for us?" Belle didn't have an answer for him so he answered for her, "It's because magic is part of who we are and if you can't accept that then you are truly lost. It's why you're struggling with your magic. You don't want to even believe in it which is why your mother's Impossible Possible spell fell through."

"Not completely. It did work. Well, sort of…" stumbled Belle as she poorly tried to justify her faulty magic. "My mother's mortal now, but she still retains her god-like powers of intuition and yes, the fate of Storybrooke's magic is now… well it's uncertain." Belle took a step back from Rumple and sighed in defeat. Everything he was saying was right. In a calmer voice she admitted dishearteningly, "Even with my best attempt, both you and Lily somehow have magic."

"As do you," Rumple added. "And I would hardly categorize your casting the Impossible Possible spell your best attempt at magic. I, personally think you can do better."

"And speaking of my magic, how long have you known this about me? I mean, we've known each other for quite some time now."

"What are you talking about now?"

"We've met before… when I was a little girl…" she waited a beat for him to react. She could see the wheels turning in his head as he reflected and tried to remember. She knew that Rumple's memory was incredibly impeccable, so naturally it only took him a second to respond. After a quick blink, he admitted briefly, "Yes. We have."

"So all this time you've known about me and my magic and never once told me about… _any of this?_ "

Rumplestiltskin took a step back from Belle and began to pace the shop. He was still carrying Lily's book bag around his arm and placed it down on the counter before them. He kept his distance at arm's length from Belle and continued, "I've had premonitions of you, yes, but as I've told you before my visions don't tell me everything."

"And what exactly did your premonitions say of me all those years ago?"

Rumple looked hesitant to reply as he gazed at her curiously, wondering where the source of this sudden inquiry was coming from. He could sense that she was still looking to start a fight. Finally, after a confident breath, he replied, "If you're asking whether or not I knew that you as that little girl would someday be my wife, no. No I did not know. I did, however, know that you were special. That, by my assisting you during that hour of need, you would somehow someday help me find my son. Of course, as you already know about my visions they never reveal how. All I knew at the time was that your family would be needing me again and that it was crucial to help you at that very moment."

"And your quest for power? Are you saying that you never once thought about taking my magic?"

"It's true, you possess magic that's unique to me, but what you have to understand is that everything I've done up to the point of Baelfire's death has been to be reunited with him again. If I had known now what you were capable of doing then… trust me, you would have seen a lot more of me as opposed to ten years later." Belle still looked suspicious and Rumple felt it appropriate to ease her concerns. "Belle, you've always complemented me. Time and time again, you've always managed to replace the darkness in my life with your goodness."

 _Goodness?_ Belle felt it wrong of Rumple to place her on this saintly pedestal and for some inexplicable she knew in her heart that she wasn't completely good. Angrily, she warped his heartfelt sentiment toward her and sourly interpreted it by restating, "You mean… I just contribute to the magic you don't already have."

"I didn't say that," he replied hurtfully.

"But that's what you were implying, isn't it?" she accused scathingly.

"Belle…" he could tell that this wasn't going anywhere. No matter what he was going to say nothing would be satisfactory to her. He shook his head. "What do you want from me? What do you want me to say? It's like you want me to admit to things that aren't true."

"I want you to be honest with me! I want you to stop keeping secrets! I want you to be diff-" Belle couldn't finish the thought. It wasn't true. She truly loved him and all of his flaws, but for some reason she couldn't help but be angry with him and how he accomplished his goals.

"-Go on! Finish the sentence. You want me to be _different_ , don't you?" He couldn't help but raise his voice at her out of frustration. "You want me to be this man that is satisfied without magic and without power. Well, guess what, dearie? I _am_ different. I _have_ changed, quite so actually. I've changed for you and for Lily. We've survived by each other outside of Storybrooke for seven years! Isn't that proof enough?" After realizing how much his voice had escalated he stopped to calm himself. Rumple lowered his voice and after an exasperated breath, he finished, "If you want me to be this other man that you speak of… then I'm sorry. That's not who I am."

"If you expect me to believe or trust…" started Belle as she stepped forward to her husband. In reaction to her approach he stepped backwards to keep his distance.

"Belle…"

"…that your intentions are honorable…"

"Belle…!" Rumple looked down to find that he couldn't move. Belle still moved forward.

"…or that you can simply run away from your problems-"

"-BELLE!" he exclaimed, cutting her off. He pointed down at his feet and as they both looked down they discovered his feet literally planted to the ground. Belle had somehow magically warped the wood of the floorboards beneath them and the wood wrapped conveniently and almost naturally around Rumplestiltskin's feet. Belle was shocked to see what had become of him. She knew that he wouldn't have done this to himself, which left her to conclude that it was her magic that did this to him.

"This… this is your magic," Rumple pointed out. "You did this."

"I-I know," acknowledged Belle as she backed away from her husband.

"You're starting to believe again. This is good!"

"How is this good?!" asked Belle fearfully.

"Because you're finally accepting who you are!" With a simple wave of his hand he removed the floor boards that had once engulfed his feet and the wooden floors returned to their original state. Belle continued to back away from him, but he approached her unafraid. "The difference… between the man I was then and the man I am now, is my perspective of what makes a rich and powerful man. Who knew that a chipped cup would be my most prized possession? Or that a sweet, beautiful young woman could be a beast's true love? You've made me a rich man, Belle Gold. I may not be the man of your dreams, but you are certainly the woman of mine."

It had been a long time since she had heard him refer to himself as a beast, and it broke her heart to hear him say it again. "You are… Oh, Rumple," she said as she caressed the side of his face. "It's just… I can't stand not knowing. I loathe being kept in the dark. I despise how you're never forward with me or how naïve you think I am."

"You're not," confirmed Rumple.

"Ok, then. Then I need you to be unafraid to tell me the truth. If you can do that, then I'll-I'll try to be less judgmental." Belle backed away from him and leaned up against one of the display cases. Silence filled the room. As he approached her, the only thing they heard were his footsteps hitting the hardwood floor.

"Do you remember the procedure we had eight years ago? It was undetermined as to whether or not you'd survive Lily's birth and so we decided to split our hearts and share each other's half. Ever since that experience I have quite literally not been the same."

"I remember." She too was changed by that experience as well.

Another tender moment was shared between them as they both recalled the splitting and sharing of each other's hearts. Eight years ago Rumple had a vision telling him about the coming birth of Lily and the possible death of Belle as a result of it. Since he was still the Dark One at the time of Lily's inception they knew that Lily would also carry on the Dark One curse and all its abilities, but at the cost of a life - Belle's life. To protect herself, Belle took on Rumple's enchanted immortal dark heart.

Rumple wondered, _perhaps my dark heart was what has been causing her to feel this way?_ She was constantly skeptical and suspicious. As Rumple thought about it some more, he realized that ever since the magical procedure she had displayed nothing but contempt for both him as well as her mother. She always seemed angry and never satisfied. Rumple had never noticed these symptoms before, but then again, for the past eight years they had been living in a world without magic, where neither one of them had to suffer from its side effects. After a breath, Rumple declared exhaustively, "We have to find Lily. What did your mother have to say when you spoke to her?"

Belle wondered what he was alluding to with that memory, but then snapped back to reality to answer him. "Uh, she-um said that Lily is a product of both of our magic and that in order to find her… we need to combine our magic. We need to work together."

"Then that is what we shall do."

"Why are you so confident in my magic?"

"I've never doubted your abilities."

"You know what I mean."

"Belle… I'm not the person standing in the way of your own belief, you are."

"But what if we fail?"

"We won't."

"What if I can't do this!"

"Then Lily cannot be stopped and we lose our daughter to Zelena," claimed Rumple. Belle looked at him despairingly. "There are, however, options."

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

"I suppose it depends on your perspective. Henry and I just got back from my castle in the Enchanted Forest."

"To retrieve magic. Yeah, so I've gathered."

"That's not the full story. Before defeating the Author last year, I had a premonition that showed me how protect my magic. I had contained it in a pendent. I threw that pendent across the border, similar to what happened with Cogsworth, which protected it from the Impossible Possible spell you had casted. The pendent was never meant to retain or gather magic, so whenever I used it a little bit of its power drained from it. However, I knew of an item specifically designed to do that task. My Dark One dagger, but it was still in my castle in the Enchanted Forest. That's why I had been spending all my time here in the shop. I've been working with Henry in attempts to get there legally, but the M.T.A. bi-laws made it nearly impossible for me to do so. Then when Lily discovered her magic and then ran away, it forced me to expedite my plans. Henry and I successfully retrieved my dagger, and yes, I absorbed the power of the enchanted shoes, but now I can use that power to help Neal."

"How?"

"I have Zelena's necklace," stated Rumple as he withdrew the Emerald necklace from Lily's bookbag and placed it on the countertop next to them. "Do you recall the mark that scarred Neal's hand all those years ago."

"Yes," recalled Belle slowly.

"It was the Transference Seal, a life-for-a-life conduit. All I need to do is create the seal, like so…" said Rumple as he demonstrated with his magic. He withdrew his Dark One dagger from within his overcoat jacket and tapped the tip of the blade over the emerald. A slight snap erupted from the rock and the triangular shaped Transference Seal etched itself magically onto the stone. "…and hand it back to her. Now this pendent used to host Zelena, meaning that etched inside this stone are her enchanted markings bearing her life force's signature as well as her magic. The moment she holds the emerald with the seal in her grasp, the transference will be complete and Neal will no longer be burdened by the curse. Of course this requires your magical touch as well since we're all still under the Impossible Possible spell here."

"You make my mother's spell sound like a curse," noted Belle, to which Rumple replied, "It's as I've said to you before, dark and light magic all depend on your point of view." Belle stared down at the rock uncomfortably not knowing exactly where to begin. She looked back to her husband and asked, "What-what exactly do you want me to do? Where do I even begin?"

"Well, like all of my students, I tell them that magic derives from emotions and to feel through their power. However, you and I both know that's not going to work because of who you are, or I should say, what you are."

Belle stared back down at the stone again and closed her eyes. She imagined her mother's spell and how it felt when she had casted that spell for the first time on her own. She remembered the conviction in herself to do it. She remembered the belief she had of others as well as herself. It felt like breathing. The moment she thought about her own breath her breathing felt forced. She needed to not think about it too critically and let her mind go. She just needed to believe that it would work and allow her belief to flow through her naturally, like breathing in and out. All she needed to do was relax.

Belle extended her hand out over the jewelry and attempted to relax. She thought about what made her happy and she instantly thought of her library. She thought of sitting down at her desk and reading. Even in the nearly silent library she felt empowered. "Belle…" whispered Rumple through Belle's meditation. Belle opened her eyes slightly and saw the remnants of the Transference Seal's symbol glow in a brilliant yellow light, marking the successful use of her magic.

A smile flickered on Belle's face as well as his. Was it really that easy? She watched as Rumple slid the enchanted necklace back into his pocket and inquired, "And what about that other option you spoke of?"

"Neal also carries with him, the Author's pen," he mentioned as he carefully placed his dagger back inside his overcoat jacket and Zelena's necklace inside his outer pocket.

"Neal has the pen?! Does he not know what it is or what it does?!" exclaimed Belle.

"No. So while the element of surprise is still on my side, I intend on taking the pen, absorbing the Author's magic and finally stopping Zelena once and for all. Like you have requested, I've told you of my intentions and have been forthright about them. But since I know how you disapprove of my methods, I see no other choice. I must do this alone."

With a wave of his hand, Rumple disappeared abruptly from the shop in a cloud of purple smoke. Upset by his sudden exit, Belle huffed out, "Ugh! Rumple!" He had moved so quickly that he didn't even give her a chance to respond.

She had to do something. She needed to follow him. She needed to find him and quickly. The quickest means of doing that was by magic and that meant believing quickly. Belle thought back to her father's story and closed her eyes. The willow tree. Books. Magic. Dreamcatcher. She knew her elemental deity powers, unlike her mother's, were more Earth-related. In her mind's eye, Belle focused on a Willow tree and without giving a moment to doubt she waved her hand over her body and disappeared from the shop in a cloud of grey smoke. When she opened her eyes, she was amazed to find her herself next to one of Storybrooke's very own willow trees.

She looked around her and found herself alone. What now?

Magic. She needed to find her husband with magic, but how? How can she quickly summon him? Every second that passed was a potential second towards unforeseen chaos. She stared down at her hands in awe. She was doing it. She had performed magic on herself. What else could she do? All this time he was explaining to her how much he had changed, but couldn't the same be said for her? If anything, her disappearing and then reappearing in another place was proof of that. He had changed her as much as she had changed him.

She thought about one of the last things he mentioned to her before disappearing, that he was physically different as a result of their hearts. That was it! Belle needed to pull out her heart which shared his half and command him to be by her side. Belle knew that what she was about to do was dastardly, but he left her with no choice. She remembered how it felt when he plunged his hand inside her chest to pull out her heart. Odd, sharp, painful, wrenching, swift.

Bravely, she took a breath and quickly plunged her own hand inside her chest and pulled out her heart. Half of it glowed ruby red, while the other half looked dark and sickly with speckles of red. Belle brought her heart to her lips and called gently to the darkened half, "Rumplestiltskin, return to me."

Belle looked wildly around where she stood and waited. Right when she was beginning to doubt whether or not she had been successful, Rumplestiltskin appeared before her in a magical cloud of purple smoke. "I'm surprised," he said coolly. "But I suppose I should have seen this coming when I asked if you'd remembered about our split hearts."

"Before rudely leaving me behind, I had wanted to correct an egregious assumption you had made earlier," said Belle as she walked right up to her husband. She shook her head and assured kindly, "you don't have to do this alone. Now that I have certain… abilities, we can continue helping each other like we always have." Belle looked bashfully down at the ground and then humbly back up at her husband. "I think we both could learn to have a little more faith in each other."

Rumple let on a small smile of his own as he nodded in concurrence. "I confess. I am both impressed and shocked to see how you had contacted me. I believe a phone call would have sufficed."

"You and I both know that you would have ignored it. I just wanted to make sure you didn't go after the Author's pen. And now there's no need for it. I-I'm slowly… getting accustomed to my magic and we can save Lily together. But first," she said as she lifted her heart to show it to Rumple, "I think the reason why I haven't been myself is because I haven't been completely myself. I think we should return our hearts to their original state."

"No," disagreed Rumple as he shook his head and clasped his hands in front of him.

"No?"

"Belle," he began as he stepped forward toward her. He gently took her hand that cradled her heart and held it within his own. "I don't want your magic. I've never wanted your magic. I just want you because it is you, not your magic, that makes me stronger. I realize this now. And having part of you in me is reminder of that. Because of you, I am already a better person." Belle was taken back by his comment and had no words to reply with. He continued, "I accept you for you as I hope that you would for me and that includes this." By 'this', Belle knew he was referring to magic. "Even with half of my heart you're still you, and I love you for it. Being magical is just a wonderful addition to who you already are."

His words echoed similarly to what her mother had been trying to convey to her earlier, but now she finally understood what she meant by it. A few tears fell out of the corner of Belle's eyes over the heartfelt moment and she couldn't help but smile. " _Really?_ "

He nodded in reply and glanced down at her heart. "May I?" He wanted to put her heart back where it belonged. Belle nodded as she wiped away the tears from her face and handed over her heart to him. He stared down at her heart for a moment and then glanced upwards at her with a loving smile. In a swift but not sudden move he pushed her heart as gently as he could back into her body. As soon as the deed was done, she kissed his face sweetly and then wrapped her arms lovingly around his body. After a few moments of their warm embrace, Rumple reminded Belle, "Darling… our daughter."

"Oh, right," agreed Belle as she broke away from her husband. There was still the matter of Zelena being loose in Storybrooke. "I'm, I'm sorry… for everything. For not trusting you more."

"It's ok."

"Change is hard."

"Tell me about it, and I've had a few centuries of being stubbornly set in my ways."

Suddenly a bunch of twigs snapped behind Rumple and the couple turned at the sound. Pocahontas hesitantly stepped out from behind a tree to greet them. She couldn't tell whether Rumple and Belle were friends or foes and gambled by imploring, "Please. I need your help."

Curious as to what the strange woman was doing in their town, they followed after the Native American to see how they could help her. Both Rumple and Belle found themselves getting closer to the river, walking past tall bushes and younger tree-sprouts to get there. Pocahontas stopped at another willow tree and at the base of the tree's trunk laid an unconscious young boy.

"It's Neal Nolan!" claimed Belle as she rushed forward to help him. She fell to her knees and leaned over his body, checking for signs of breathing. Rumple followed quickly after Belle and crouched down beside Neal's body. While Rumple inspected him visually, Pocahontas stood back and watched helplessly as she leaned against the willow tree. "What happened to him?" Belle wondered out loud as she felt the boy's face and head. Apart from looking very pale, he appeared to just be sleeping.

"He drank the witch's poison," said Pocahontas.

"Why would he drink poison?" asked Rumplestiltskin.

"He tried to save Demon-spirit Lily from the witch who threatened to use it on her. He drank it to protect her."

"He's not dead," observed Belle.

"It appears to be a sleeping draught of some kind," said Rumple as he took the bottle that was still in Neal's hand. He uncorked it and smelt the contents within. He remarked, "A crude but still dangerous form of Regina's sleeping curse."

Suddenly she noticed a newly made dreamcatcher next to his head leaning against the tree's trunk. "What's this?" Belle asked as she leaned forward picking up the object.

"It's a dreamcatcher. When the spirit is lost, my people use this to cleanse the mind of bad thoughts. With a clean mind, the spirit is better able to find the body again."

Belle inspected the dreamcatcher for herself and noticed the intricate designs. Suddenly a memory flashed in her mind and she could recall the dreamcatcher she used to rid herself of the memories of magic. Belle never took her eyes away from the item as she stood up in place. She leaned against the willow tree for support when her hand's skin camouflaged with the rest of the tree's bark.

"Belle!" called out Rumple with concern as he pointed at her hand. Belle gasped as she realized what he was pointing at and quickly withdrew her hand. Her skin quickly morphed back to its original complexion and the willow tree started to move. The limbs of the branches began to move and the trunk of the tree shifted. Belle stepped back as the tree took to a familiar shape. The knots and indentations within the trees bark formed into a kind elderly woman's face and in a soft voice it spoke.

 _Oh, hello there. The last time we spoke you were but a young sprout._

Belle stared blankly at the tree, stunned by what she was seeing. Rumple came to her side to support her or gather her quickly should he need to whisk her away to a safe distance. The tree looked down at its base and questioned,

 _And what is this at my root?_

"Grandmother Willow! The young boy has been poisoned. Is there anything you can do?" asked Pocahontas of the tree.

" _Grandmother Willow?_ " Belle echoed back softly to herself. Rumple turned to Belle and asked, "Do you remember this tree?"

"I… I don't…wait…" began Belle as she reflected. As she did so she caught herself gazing downward at the dreamcatcher in her hand. She stared at it intensely and felt the inner webbing with her fingertips. In her head she could hear the whispers of a distant memory.

 _…_ _what you ask involves matters of the heart… …you are a child of the forest. Grounded, planted, firm. With the wisdom of trees… …knowledge is your source of power…_

Belle remembered. She could remember the scent the bluebell flowers gave off from the field where her magic woke. She remembered feeling fear when she used her magic and frightened her grandfather to death. She remembered the trip she took with her father and meeting Rumplestiltskin for the first time. She remembered walking along a river very similar to the one she was standing next to in Storybrooke's forest and meeting Grandmother Willow.

As much as she knew of how she forgot about her magic through her father's story, it wasn't the same as reliving the moments through her own senses. The recollection happened in a flash to which Belle replied changing her answer mid-sentence, "…I… _remember_."

Her mouth fell open with amazement. She turned to her husband and said more excitedly, "I remember!"

While Belle gained her memories back, Grandmother Willow continued on and answered Pocahontas's question.

 _I am sorry, my dear. There isn't anything I can do for the youngling, but… I believe Belle might be able to help._

"Me?"

 _Your child wields great magic… both light and dark… deity and fairy tale… but with that power comes a great cost. She cannot be allowed to remember any of it._

"Why must she be prohibited from remembering her magic?" Rumple asked feeling affronted.

 _If she continues down this path, her power as the new Dark One will only compound and Storybrooke as we know it will cease to exist. By taking away her memories of magic, she will save this boy along with everybody else._

"But wait, when you and I last had a conversation you said that having magic was a gift and that something so beautiful shouldn't be disposed of," pointed out Belle.

 _Do it, don't do it. It is your choice. Not that I can stop you. I am only a tree and what I share is the prophecy that has been foretold by the Trees of Old. I warn you… if she keeps her memories, she will seek out the Author. The fate she and the Author share are tied by magic and it is through those means that she will bring about everyone's end._

The tree looked around and saw how her news made everyone feel. The tree slowly shook its face in regret, but since the face was placed in the center of the trunk the branches shook along and moss fell to their feet where they stood. Grandmother Willow apologized,

 _I am so sorry for being the bearer of bad news, but it is my obligation to share with you what I know as a fellow enchanted creature. For the sake of all of us, I hope you make the right choice. Pocahontas…_

"Yes Grandmother?" asked Pocahontas as she stepped forward toward the tree.

 _You once asked me on my opinions of love? You will find it in abundance here. Once you understand what it is to have true love, will you then have achieved your destiny._

At Grandmother Willow's final words, she twisted back to her original shape and resumed stillness. With the Dreamcatcher still in her hands Belle placed it down by Neal's head and turned to Pocahontas. "Could you please continue watching over Neal? I'll contact his parents and they'll be here with him shortly."

Pocahontas gave an agreeing nod and sat down by Neal's body. She sat and meditated as Belle turned to her husband and they left the willow tree to speak privately. Once she and Rumple were beyond ear-shot, he asked almost indignantly, "You're not seriously considering this."

"You heard the prophecy. If Lily continues to learn and use her magic she'll destroy Storybrooke."

He tugged at Belle's shoulder, preventing her from moving forward and forced her to face him. "Look, as many times as I've tried to destroy this town, I've never been able to do it. There are just way too many damn heroes here. I doubt that our own daughter would ever be able to accomplish such a feat."

"I believe you grossly underestimate the capabilities of our daughter. Besides I cannot, in my good conscience, risk even the possibility. We must nip this in the bud before it's too late." Belle lowered herself to the forest floor and began picking up stray twigs and loose vines.

"I could teach her. I happen to be an excellent teacher of magic," claimed Rumplestiltskin proudly. His voiced even seemed excited over the prospective notion.

"No offense, Rumple, but having Cora, Zelena and Regina as your top protégés, doesn't exactly make your resume appealing. This is our daughter we're talking about here, along with the lives of everyone else in town. We can't be selfish about this. It'll be hard, but we must do what's right." She gathered the materials in a pile on the ground and after a hesitant breath, Belle closed her eyes and waved her hand over the pile. In a cloud of gray smoke, the pile transformed into a dreamcatcher. Belle lifted up the completed product proudly and showed it to her husband. She directed him, "I need you to use your magic on the dreamcatcher."

"Why should I? Why should I believe a single word the old tinder had to say?"

"Because this is what our family wants. I'll admit, I was reluctant to live here at first, but now that we're here I can see the allure you and Lily both share. Our family is here and I want to continue living in Storybrooke with you and Lily, and although Lily can never know about magic, you'll still have yours. We'll still have everything. We'll still have our happy ending, but not magic, not around Lily. That's the price." Disgruntled and reluctant, Rumple stepped forward and waved his hand over the dreamcatcher, putting forth his own magic to the object to combine with Belle's. The item glowed a brilliant shade of gold and then returned to its natural earth-tones.

"Ok, so now what?" he asked bitterly.

"Now, we find David and Mary-Margaret, bring them to their son, we find our daughter and then, we save Baelfire… together."

* * *

 **I'm so glad you all enjoyed my last chapter. What did you guys think about this one? As you can tell, there's some major growth happening between our characters which means that we're getting that much closer to the end! And speaking of the end, I've finally finished the last chapter to this story! I'll try and post another chapter this Wednesday. Thank you again to Actress10, Grace5231973 and ladybugsmomma for reading and reviewing the last chapter. I look forward to hearing all of you again soon!**


	22. To Be A Villain

Lily swiftly took Zelena away from the Sheriff's station and they reappeared safely in the middle of Storybrooke's forest. As soon as the magical cloud dissipated, the witch cursed at the child, "You wretched girl!"

"You're a horrible woman!" exclaimed Lily.

"What? Were you expecting us to have a nice sit-down over at Granny's while exchanging sappy stories over apple pies? You're more foolish than I thought. I demand you take me to my house next."

"No! The deal was to find a way to bring you back to your universe and in order to do that we need Cogsworth."

"Oh, you mean this?" said Zelena slyly as she withdrew the pocket-watch from within her bosom.

"You mean I could have taken you back this whole time?!" exclaimed Lily, shocked and upset from having been deceived.

"You're just as gullible as your mother," sassed Zelena as she placed the watch back in her bosom. "And thanks to your inherited naivety, when you used my enchanted necklace to bring you and Neal Cassidy back to your universe, you brought me back with you."

"I won't help you hurt people," refused Lily as she stubbornly crossed her arms.

Zelena sighed superficially and replied, "Well, then your friend will die. How sad for you."

Lily's face pained with guilt and confliction. Perhaps there was another way to approach this and save Neal Nolan's life. Lily quickly thought of something to negotiate with and proposed, "Tell me exactly what it is that Neal consumed and we'll go to your house."

"It's a poison. There. Done. Now let's go."

" _Exactly_ what it is, or no deal," clarified Lily. It was a gamble Lily had to take. She knew that Neal's life was on the line, but the witch was giving her little choice. With a stubborn huff, the witch answered, "Alright. It was a sleeping curse. Although this one in particular is not as potent as the one his parents had to endure. Without magic, I'm afraid this is just a powerful coma-inducing sedative without the convenient preservation of glamor. Simple yet sufficient. Especially on the go."

It took a moment for Lily to decide whether or not Zelena was telling the truth as the witch folded her arms impatiently across her chest. Lily furrowed her eyebrows and stared at the witch in scrutiny as she analyzed her face. Zelena's forehead seemed to have flattened out as she spoke and the insensitive sarcasm that dripped off of every word indicated sadly that she was telling the truth. It was brief, but for a second Lily saw honesty. Lily asked, "Where's your house here?"

"If it wasn't already blown away by a tornado, or desecrated by the heroes in this town, it should be the only farm house down the road by the town stables."

Lily decided and nodded. With a wave of her hand, Lily transported both the witch and herself to the old farm house. When they arrived, Zelena saw how rundown the farmhouse looked and shook her head in disappointment. Lily could hear Zelena murmur indignantly as they walked up to the dilapidated building, "You would think the community would take better care of its historical property."

Lily followed after Zelena who led the way into the house through its creaking front porch door. Inside the unkempt house both Zelena and Lily looked around the dusty hallway, clearing cobwebs as they went. Lily was surprised at the lack of pictures or typical home décor around the house. Due to the lack of pictures, the house was without familial warmth and for a brief moment Lily took pity on the witch. It meant that she knew nothing about family or friends. Regina, Storybrooke's mayor, was Zelena's sister and the only family the witch had in this town. So why would the witch attack the only person left in town who could possibly love her? It made no sense to Lily and it made her wonder whether this unfeeling sorceress actually had a heart. Lily suspected trauma, but she didn't know what it was and it made her curious to find out.

Zelena stormed through the house with disgust as she pushed, moved or knocked over dishes, furniture and other random objects that got in her way. What objects that didn't crash dramatically to the floor she checked, looking inside each bottle or carafe for something that could possibly aide her in her magicless predicament. Lily couldn't tell if the storm cloud that hovered around Zelena was simply her fury or simply the result of moving dusty things around a musty old house.

Nothing was said between the two and in those moments of silence, Lily couldn't help but pity the witch as she continued in her pathetic attempts at treachery. If anything her frustration only proved how much she was out of her element and clearly in the wrong universe. "I can't find anything here! A witch goes toes up and her legacy is left in ruins."

"Is that what you want, to be remembered?" Lily asked hesitantly.

"Your small prepubescent mind couldn't possibly fathom what I want," spat out Zelena as she left the room to investigate the other rooms of the farmhouse. Lily followed after Zelena who had pulled on a string that dangled from the ceiling. Zelena lowered the attic door's access point and pulled down on the folded stairs.

Lily took no offense to the comment and still followed after the witch curiously. Without a doubt in Lily's mind, this person she was following was clearly a villain. Lily, herself, felt like a villain. Her father was labeled a villain. If it wasn't for the fact that the cure to Neal's life rested in the mind of Zelena, Lily would have admired the witch, but she had to forcibly separate her sympathy for her. It made her wonder what it meant to be evil, or if evil was simply thrusted upon good people who didn't know how to handle adversity or redirect it so they had to absorb it all. At Lily's age, it was a sad fate to think about for her. Was redemption too late for her? Was it already too late for Zelena?

Once Lily reached the top of the stairs and into the attic she realized that the only reason she was helping the witch was because was she cared deeply for her friend Neal Nolan. Lily speculated that perhaps Zelena's motives weren't so dissimilar from her own. "Why do you want to go back in time so much? Is it because there's somebody there that loves you?"

"You ask too many questions you incessant privileged child. You know nothing about what I'm trying to do," snapped Zelena viciously. Lily recognized this behavior. Mostly because her own father displayed these traits from time to time. Redirection. Aversion. Avoidance. To Lily, it was a front and it meant that she was close to the truth. Zelena's reaction through mockery was only proof of it.

"What are you looking for? Perhaps I can help you find it."

Zelena turned to Lily and stared at her suspiciously. "Why are you trying to help me? Your little boyfriend is dying, remember? Or was he really not that important to you after all?" questioned Zelena distrustfully.

"For the longest time I thought I was a villain… mostly because everyone knows my Papa. And somehow by blood, or magic, or… whatever, I knew that my curse would always have me looking down the path to darkness."

"Oh, how sweet," whimpered Zelena mockingly, "did you really think you were going to cure me of my wickedness? Or were you simply trying to cute yourself into coaxing out a cure by attempting to relate to me? Nice try, but it's not going to work. Too much damage has already been done and redemption is out of the question. You _do_ realize that I've killed before –even children." Seeing that Lily was sincere in her comment Zelena changed her stance slightly and said less harshly, "How are you a villain, anyways? It's not like you've killed anybody here, have you?"

"Well… no," admitted Lily.

"Then you're not a villain. Trust me, you'd have to do some dark and treacherous things to get at my level. Besides, you're young, which means that time is on your side to be redeemed. That is, if you really care about that sort of thing. But, I can't blame you. Being good is boring and dumb."

"But… if you complete your time travel spell, I won't even exist."

"Relax, I don't even plan on enacting the spell until I'm safely back in my own universe. Your existence here wouldn't even be affected. No, the only timeline and universe I plan on affecting is my own."

"Then what is it that you hope to have after you've gotten everything you wanted?"

"Isn't it obvious? I want my happy ending and the heroes do everything in their power to make sure I don't get it," argued Zelena.

"Why should villains get what they want though? You still think that after everything you've done you deserve a happy ending?"

"You call yourself a villain, now is that because you view yourself as a villain or is it because other people tell you that you are?" Zelena proposed.

"Well, _I_ don't think I am."

"Then you're not," claimed Zelena affirmatively. "From my perspective, the would-be _heroes_ are my villains because they strive to make sure I don't get to be happy. They go against everything I believe in and of course, they somehow win victoriously every time."

"So you think you're a hero?" wondered Lily.

"Oh, heaven's no! I'm just me. A lovely, talented person afflicted with a particular verdigris and because I'm different I'm singled out right away. Everyone wants to point out what is different about you and cast you away for it. I say, if they are going to call you the wicked witch you might as well accept it because it liberates you from convention. Ugh!" Zelena said with frustration as she became disappointed by the farmhouse's turnout. "Apparently my sister from this universe had already picked clean everything worthwhile about this place. I suppose we have to move on to plan B."

Lily didn't like the sound of Plan B and sighed. She knew she wasn't going to like whatever Plan B had in store for her. Curiosity pushed her to ask, "What's Plan B?"

"Now that I know you haven't killed anybody, that means your magic hasn't been tainted by darkness. I think it's time we find your older brother."

* * *

 **Another chapter posted. Only five more chapters left to this story of the Lily series. Don't worry, this isn't the end of the Lily series. Next summer's hiatus I will be posting the last story to this series. This isn't it. A bit of a cliffhanger I know, but hopefully in the last chapter you'll get a taste of what's to come for the fourth and final installment.**

 **I'd like to give a shout out to Actress10 who helped me out a little bit with this story. If it wasn't for Actress10, the idea of bringing Zelena back to be the baddie of this story wouldn't have happened. It was a nice touch, I think. Nothing like a dash of chaos to mix things up and make things interesting. It's perfect really. Lily thinks she's a villain until she meets someone who's worse than her. And in this chapter, I was able to showcase the differences and reveal what it means to be a bad guy from a villain's perspective. Short chapter, but ironically, not a bad one.**

 **Thank you to Actress10 and Grace5231973 for having reviewed right away. You guys are awesome.**


	23. Separation Anxiety

Neal Cassidy, Emma and Killian arrived at the woods hoping to meet up with Mary-Margaret and David to help find her younger brother. The car ride over was silent and awkward and they all looked in opposite directions trying to figure out what to say to each other. Fortunately for them, the car ride from town to Storybrooke's woods was a short trip because as soon as they arrived Emma received a call from Henry.

The group filed out of the VW bug and stood outside the forest's edge while Emma carried on with her conversation with Henry, "Yes, we already know about Zelena… wait, what happened to you and your grandfather?" Both Killian and Neal hovered patiently around Emma as she tried to wrap up her conversation with her son. Suddenly the tone turned argumentative as Emma ordered over the phone, "Henry, no! No! Stay where you are…" Seeing the disgruntled and frustrated look on Emma's face, they gathered that that Henry had swiftly hung up on her as she looked up to the two men and said, "Henry's coming to help. With Zelena on the loose there's no telling what kind of danger he'll be in when he arrives."

"He's a man now, Emma," said Killian pointing out that fact to Emma. As he got closer to her he continued his stance, "He's old enough to make decisions for himself. You on the other hand, shouldn't be out here. You are doing things for two now. Whatever it is, Neal and I can take care of it from here."

"You of all people should know that as a mother, I'm going to do everything I can to protect the ones that I love. Besides, I'm the Savior and I wouldn't be doing much saving if I sat on the sidelines," replied Emma stubbornly as she took to her phone again and dialed out a number. "I've got to find out where my parents are."

Emma fiercely turned on her heels away from Killian and Neal and stood a few paces away from them as she called her parents. Killian turned to Neal with his jaw clenched and shook his head in frustration. Neal couldn't help himself and smiled. Neal's observation and interaction between the couple amused him so, which prompted Neal to quip, "I take it that Emma is still as stubborn as ever."

Killian nodded as they both glanced over at Emma who was already knee-deep in a conversation with her parents. They both could see the stress mounting as Emma became more and more rigid. Seeing as how there was no chance of comforting her at this moment both Neal and Killian looked to each in silence. There was so much Killian wanted to say to Neal, but suddenly found himself speechless. Wanting to break the awkward silence, curiosity got the best of him and Killian initiated, "So…"

He fumbled with his sentence nervously as he asked, "I'm almost afraid to ask. What exactly… happened to me in your universe?" The sudden question caught Neal's attention and Killian continued, "You had mentioned Emma having died in your universe. I'm curious as to how I… had handled myself in your universe."

"So you're wondering what happened to you after Emma died?"

"Aye," nodded Killian grimly.

"The Killian from my universe took to a ship just a few years after Emma's death. It wasn't his original enchanted ship that he had traded for to get Emma back to Storybrooke, but he did manage to acquire one from this world. He sailed off to the ends of the earth, literally. In one of the books Belle had, it had mentioned that one of the ways people reached new worlds was to take a ship and fall off the end of it. A huge leap of faith if you ask me. Of course, neither Belle nor I believed it would help us in our circumstance, but you did. You had hoped to go back to the Enchanted Forest to find a magical way to bring Emma back. But that was five years ago. I hadn't heard from you since. I imagined you were successful. The book we researched was on the Topography of the Magical Realms, and in it did caution of time displacement. So as far as I know, you had made it there." It was uncertain as to where 'there' was, but Neal's tone sounded hopeful.

Killian nodded proudly. He was glad to have learned at least that much about himself, but then again he was never the type of person to have stood idly by for long. Essentially, the only reason Killian was able to tolerate everyone in Storybrooke was because of Emma, but over time even he learned what it meant to be part of a family. If it wasn't for Emma and all of his tag-a-long interactions with her family, he wouldn't have truly understood the concept. He speculated that it was most likely the reason why his alternate-self continued after her. He longed to be part of something bigger than himself, he longed to be loved and he genuinely found that in Emma. For the majority of his life his definition of family was much different. The only love he ever knew of was his brother and Milah and when both were gone vengeance quickly took its place with only his shipmates to rely on for support. When Emma told him they were expecting, he discovered a new appreciation for this redefinition of family. He knew that love was the one thing that was missing from his life, and it was the one thing he cherished enough to chase after till the end of time.

Killian knew he had little patience and as a result always took matters into his own hands. Often times his decisiveness, even if it meant cutting corners to get him to the solution quicker, was what ostracized him. He was fine with being alone. For centuries he had grown accustomed to being alone. However, after considering their dire circumstance, it didn't surprise Killian to hear how all of their counterparts had gone off in their own separate ways. With his experience with Emma's family and finally welcoming the thought of his own, it was slightly depressing hearing how everyone had handled their own despair due to the loss of their loved ones. After hearing what Neal had to say, it only confirmed to Killian how much Henry tied everybody together. If Henry had died, it would have torn Storybrooke apart and in Neal Cassidy's universe that was exactly what happened. In Neal's universe he lost both his love and his son, and in that moment Killian understood all too well Neal's decision to jump with Lily to this universe.

Both Neal and Killian looked longingly over at Emma as she continued on privately in her conversation with her parents. "So," initiated Neal after a shared bout of silence with the captain, "Emma's brother is named Neal here? It's so strange... in my universe, his name is Leo."

"Ah, yes," replied Killian, sensing Neal's confusion, "That would be Snow White's father, Emma's grandfather, Leopold. Well, it was a big celebration, Neal's Name-Day. He was named after a hero that saved us all. He was named after you."

"Me?"

"Your death influenced us all, mate. Myself included. Your absence here has been severely missed."

The connection and recognition took him back. His whole existence Neal had felt like a drifter, a nobody. For the longest time he had felt like his life had held no impact on anybody, but he realized then that it was far from the truth. His father had allowed a curse to happen to get to him, affecting all the people in the kingdom to make it so. Neal met Wendy and Wendy sacrificed herself to bring him home. He fell in love with Emma and they had a child together, Henry, who in turn helped bring everybody in town together. There were very few people in his life that he considered close. In fact, there were only five: his mother, his father, Wendy, Henry, and Emma. In that one brief explanation, he began to tear up. "Wow. What-what an honor. I bet my father was touched," Neal thought fondly as he stoically wiped a tear away from his face.

Killian nodded and confirmed, "He was."

Neal sighed as he casually wiped his tears away and said, "It's a shame that I had to find out about this posthumously... and in an alternate reality."

Killian reflected back on his own life. He thought briefly on the countless of lives he had taken and the centuries of death he had seen and suddenly felt the weight of that take its' toll. Killian smiled nervously, "Your death here was truly significant. We all can only wish for a meaningful death, that somehow we leave this world better than how we found it. It's the next great adventure, I suppose. I only hope that with my child I'm able to raise it to be an honorable person such as yourself."

Even Neal had to admit that the person Killian was referring to was his counterpart. He, himself, didn't feel like much of a hero. What did he sacrifice? He wondered. The only thing he did that was remotely remarkable was foolishly taking the key to the Dark One's vault and blindly turning it. He was desperate, he reasoned. He wanted so badly to get back to his family, to get back to Emma and Henry. It wasn't heroic, it was impulsive. Technically he was from another universe, so _he_ didn't make the great sacrifice he was infamously known for making here. Part of him even felt partially guilty for having accepted such an honor on his counterpart's behalf. Despite how disheartening the thought was, the mere fact that it was in his potential to do so was encouraging. In addition to that, as Neal thought about it some more, even his own father had demonstrated what it meant to make a sacrifice. He supposed that was what his counterpart was thinking. It made sense to him. And it also meant that he had the potential to make such a sacrifice again.

Just then, Emma ended her phone call with her parents and turned to both Killian and Neal who had stopped talking. Emma's face appeared paler than usual as she spoke.

"What's wrong, love?" asked Killian who stepped closer to Emma dreading her answer.

"It's Neal… my brother. He's… He's in a coma. He was poisoned by Zelena… My parents, they're-they're devasted," stammered Emma. After hearing her parent's devastation, even she herself didn't know how to handle the news.

"I'm so sorry Emma," said Neal somberly, feeling helpless to her situation. While eagerly wanting to help he asked, "What can we do? Is there anything we can do? There's got to be something."

Emma shook her head and shrugged her shoulders slightly as she replied, "Apparently, it was Belle and your father who found my brother and it was Belle who brought my parents to him. He's by a willow tree deep in the woods by a river being watched over by Pocahontas. Emergency vehicles are already on their way here," Emma found herself staring off momentarily appearing more shocked than anything else.

"Are you alright?" asked Killian.

"I'm sorry, I'm just- this is all just a lot to take in for one day," said Emma as she snapped back into the conversation. She took a deep breath and continued, "Belle apparently has been using magic to get around and when Gold and Belle found Neal, they found him poisoned. According to Pocahontas, Zelena had a poison which he took to save us all. It was Belle who called my parents and are with him right now."

"Pocahontas?" Neal asked curiously with the tone of surprise. "She exists in Storybrooke as well?"

"Not exactly... Actually, I'm not sure how she got to Storybrooke. Apparently it's a long story," replied Emma who was equally helpless. She looked down at her hands and longed for the days she had magic. "Magic is different now. I used to possess it, but not anymore. I just… don't know what to do."

"We need to get to my father. He'll know what to do," stated Neal confidently.

"Actually…" interrupted a voice from behind them. Everyone in the party turned at the venomous voice and saw both Lily and Zelena approach them from behind. "…how about you sacrifice yourself instead, like the hero you supposedly are around here and I'll just be on my merry way."

Startled, Emma's eyes bulged and said to Lily, "Lily! What are you doing? Why are you helping Zelena?"

Lily looked like she was about to respond, but Zelena spoke up on her behalf, "Never you mind the details, the point is that we're here for my Rumplestiltskin."

Neal was taken back by the sight of Zelena. It had been years since he had seen her and for years he dreaded this very moment. Without a second thought, Neal instinctively placed himself in front of Emma and Killian and said to Zelena, "You've got no quarrel with them. If it's me you want, then I'd like to see you try. The only magic that exists here is Lily's, and as her brother, I doubt she'd do anything to harm her family!"

"Fool! Weren't you listening? I don't want you. I want your father!" Zelena pointed out again.

"Enough of this-," Killian said as he stepped out around Neal. Before anyone could react, Killian quickly stepped forward brandishing a gun he had pulled out from within his black leather jacket and pointed it directly at the witch.

"Killian!" shrilled Emma in absolute terror. "What are you doing?!"

Killian's face darkened, his eyes never wavering from his target as he justified his actions. "I should have been the one to have killed you, and with magic gone I can finally do what I've wanted to all those years ago."

"Don't do this Killian. As easy as you think it is to kill Zelena now, that's exactly what she wants you to believe. Don't underestimate her," warned Neal.

"All this talking and nobody sees the advantage we have over this woman," stated Killian determinedly. "The downfall to you heroes is that you never seize your opportunities."

A shot fired from his gun, but the bullet never hit his target. Instead, Lily held up her hand and magically deflected the bullet away from Zelena. Zelena's eyes were closed as she anticipated the impact but was surprised to find that nothing had pierced her body. Zelena opened her eyes and felt her body for a bullet hole, but discovered as she looked up where the bullet had landed. The witch smiled and hackled where she stood and pointed at Killian. "It looks like your quick assumption about people is _your_ downfall."

Everyone in the group turned to Killian who hovered for a moment but then collapsed to the ground. "Killian!" shouted Emma again as she fell to the ground beside him. The bullet that was intended for Zelena was deflected back towards Killian, causing the fatal blow to happen to him instead. Neal fell down beside Killian as well and turned to Lily, yelling, "Lily! Look what you've done!"

Tears fell out of the corners of Lily's eyes. She was more disappointed in herself than anybody there. "I'm-I'm sorry…" she said in between sobs. All Lily could think about was Neal Nolan and by protecting Zelena she was protecting any chance of saving him. It was how she justified it to herself in her mind, but nobody understood that but her. No matter how many ways she justified it, Lily felt horrible. Numb by her actions, she felt paralyzed to do anything.

Zelena's laughing simmered as she placed two caring hands on Lily's shoulders. "Well done, dearie. I'm surprised," commended Zelena proudly to Lily. "I never thought you had it in you. And when you said to me earlier that you were a villain I doubted you, but I can see now that I was wrong. You really are the Dark One's daughter, and I have to say, if he were here right now he'd be proud of you. You did what he couldn't do and had always wanted to for centuries. Well now… I suppose there's a first for everything." Zelena finished her gloating and stepped back from Lily. With hands on her hips Zelena paced around Lily and said, "But now that you're officially a villain, it's thrown quite the wrench into my plans. You see, I need light magic to separate Neal and now that your magic has gone dark, we've got to figure out an alternate solution to get what I want."

Lily was devastated by what she had done and looked on helplessly over at Emma as she sobbed relentlessly over Killian's dying body. "Killian! Why did you do that? Why?!" Emma exclaimed to him. In her lap she held Killian's upper body and held his hand tightly. Almost instantly, Emma recognized Killian's look and it was the look of death. It was the same look Neal Cassidy gave to her right before dying.

"Lily!" demanded Neal to his sister. "Do something! Save him!"

"No! No, please," shouted Killian to Neal as he reached for his hand as well. Neal turned back to Killian and held the dying man's outstretched hand. "This is my fate. I've accepted it." Killian turned to Emma and instructed, "Please, I want our child to remember me as a hero."

"You can tell your child yourself! You're not going anywhere! Please, don't leave me! I can't do this without you," pleaded Emma.

"You won't be alone…" he said while gasping for breath. The bullet had penetrated his heart and his words were coming out sparingly. Blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth and he knew his time was running out. Killian turned his head to Neal and with both of their hands in his, he brought their hands symbolically together. "…you'll always have somebody, Emma… I love you and I will see you in the next world, love. Please, let me go… on this one last… adventure…"

Killian's eyes rolled to the back of his skull and his body relaxed.

"KILLIAN!" shrieked Emma with despair. She immediately let go of Neal's hand and gathered as much as she could of her husband into her arms. "No, no, no, no," was all Emma could say out of disbelief as she leaned her head onto Killian's, sobbing uncontrollably as she rocked his body gently back and forth. Just then a car arrived and as soon as it parked, both Henry and Dr. Hopper quickly got out of the car. After seeing Killian on the ground and his mother in distress Henry immediately rushed over to her to help.

"Mom!" called out Henry, but Emma was too numb to her own emotions to acknowledge his presence. Henry fell to his knees beside his mother and heard her mourn out loud, "Why Killian? Why did you have to do that? Why would you do this to us?"

Henry saw the bloodied bullet hole on Killian's chest and the gun resting on the ground next to Killian's lifeless form and asked, "Dad, what happened?"

"Killian tried to kill Zelena but Lily reflected the bullet back at him," explained Neal solemnly as both he and Henry turned to Lily. Lily stood by Zelena absolutely ashamed and traumatized. She never meant for the bullet Killian fired to be bounced back at him. She only wanted to protect her only way to save Neal Nolan. Neal Cassidy stood up in place and turned to Zelena with the look of determination and fury. Archie Hopper took Neal's place by Killian's side to support Emma as she grieved while Neal shouted angrily at the witch, "Hey! All this effort, just to get at my father, and now look at you! You're back to square one. So tell me, was all of this still worth it?! _Was it?!_ Why can't you just… move on…"

"Dad?" asked Henry with deep concern.

Neal Cassidy felt his body tremble again. The timing couldn't have been any worse. Zelena smirked and chuckled over Neal's condition and remarked triumphantly, "Pitiful. All of you are just pathetic." Just as Neal reached within his vest pocket for another bottle of potion to ingest, both Belle and Rumple appeared in their own individual magical clouds of smoke. "Well, I'll be damned… the Bookworm _does_ have magic, and here I was thinking that it was all just another lie you were spinning me, Rumple." Without hesitation Belle immediately rushed over to Neal's side to help him drink the potion while Rumple took a few confident steps forward toward Zelena. As he did so, Zelena positioned herself directly behind Lily and placed two controlling hands on top of Lily's shoulders. "You see, Lily? I told you it wouldn't take your father long to get back to you. Tell me Rumple," continued Zelena, her voice riddled with noxious superiority, "Have you come to gather up the broken pieces of your pathetic family?"

"I've come to return something to you," said Rumple as he pulled out her emerald pendant. Without missing a beat, he tossed Zelena's pendant into the air which she recognized immediately and caught perfectly. The witch smiled gleefully as she regained what was once lost to her. "It's your actual pendant which you've absent-mindedly left behind in the Enchanted Forest when you tried to leave Henry and I behind." Rumple looked to his daughter and opened his arms. He gestured for her to come to him and called, "Lily." Gratefully and swiftly, Lily instantly disappeared from Zelena's side and then reappeared inside the protection of her father's arms. "Now that you've got your magic back, you don't need to use my daughter for your wicked ways anymore."

Zelena's smile waned as she stared down at the pendant suspiciously and then back up at Rumplestiltskin. The pendant felt like hers and she felt her magic again, but something was off. "This is just another one of your tricks," claimed Zelena as she caught on to how convenient this was to her.

"Oh, not mine," corrected Rumplestiltskin with confidence as he turned to his wife to cue her, "Belle?"

Belle nodded at her husband and understood what that meant. She turned to Neal who intuitively knew what she was about to do and pleaded, "Belle, don't! Please! You'll be giving Zelena exactly what she wants."

Neal fell to his knees and Belle fell down with him. With comforting hands on both of his arms Belle assured softly as she looked earnestly into his eyes, "Neal, I need you to trust me."

Neal's eyes watered as he shook with fear. He turned his head to see both Emma and Henry and in that brief second he stared at his family like it was the last thing he would ever see. With eyes closed, as if trying not to forget the image, he turned his head back around to Belle and nodded compliantly. Belle took a breath and focused.

They all witnessed the separation, but for Emma this was her second time witnessing this. Neal's face warped between himself and father's. It appeared almost painful. In a brilliant flash, Belle successfully separated Neal from his father and there were suddenly two Rumplestiltskins within close proximity of each other. During the flash, Neal had fallen backwards from Belle and collapsed to the ground while the alternate Rumple stared into Belle's eyes appearing dazed and confused.

" _Belle?_ …Bae!" was all Rumple could say as he realized what had happened. He instantly turned to his son who was lying on the ground directly behind him and called to him again. "Bae! Bae!"

Neal sat up in place and turned to his father. The alternate Rumple held his son's hand and studied his son's condition. "Are you alright, son?"

Just as Neal nodded his response Zelena began wheezing and collapsed to the ground. Zelena was dying and Lily saw her cure to save Neal Nolan dying with her. Lily lurched forward to go after the witch, but her father stopped her. Out of desperation, Lily called to the witch from within her father's arms, hoping against all hope that Zelena would confess the cure with her last dying breath, "Zelena, how do I save Neal? Tell me how can I save Neal Nolan! _Please?!_ "

Zelena grasped at her throat and rolled to her back. The witch never said a word as she hacked and gagged until finally she stirred no more.

* * *

 **What did you guys think about this chapter? Lots of things happening, that's for sure. Thank you for reading and thank you to Actress10 and Grace5231973 who reviewed the previous chapter. We're getting close to finishing out this story. I'm currently working on the story board for the next story to this series! Looking forward to tonight's episode. I'm sure it'll be a Rumbelle doozy. See you next chapter posting on Wednesday!**


	24. Guardian of Magic

As Zelena passed away, so did Lily's chance of saving Neal Nolan. On top of killing Killian, she had also doomed one of her closest friends to unconsciousness. All of her efforts to save him were in vain. Lily buried her face into her father's body and wept. How could she move on? How could she even live with herself with what she had done?

The alternate Rumplestiltskin held Neal Cassidy in his arms and hugged him closely. Just when the reunion started to seem joyful he began fading in and out of existence. "What-what is happening?" he asked mid-blur. Even his voice seemed to audibly warp.

"We have to return to our universe," explained Neal as he helped his father stand to his feet. Henry left his mother and walked cautiously over to Zelena's body. Belle saw Henry and knew exactly what he was after as she called after him, "Henry, please be careful."

Henry made it safely over to where Zelena's body fell to the ground and stood stoically over her body. He lowered his body to Zelena's and searched her body with his eyes for Cogsworth. His eyes caught sight of the chain that had fallen out from her bosom and picked it up. With the watch at hand he moved back over to Lily and his grandfather and stood there before them contemplatively. Henry took his time as he thought about what needed to happen next to make things right again. After a few moments of deliberation, he realized what he needed to do and handed the watch back over to Lily.

"Go. Do what you need to do and make things right again," ordered Henry solemnly. Lily turned to her nephew and stared at him questionably as she accepted the enchanted timepiece.

"I-I don't understand," claimed Lily as she held Cogsworth in her hand in front of everyone.

"You reintroduced magic to this town therefore, you are Storybrooke's guardian of magic now. You brought my father and my other grandfather back from another universe. You brought Zelena back and now she's dead. Killian is dead… and now my uncle… will remain unconscious forever. Now you know, this is the price to magic," explained Henry gravely. His truthful words stung as they left his mouth, but everyone knew it to be true. "It all depends on you now."

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen… I didn't want this!" Lily desperately tried to clarify, but it was of no use. The damage was already done. Henry shook his head gently and said, "It doesn't matter what you had meant to do. All that matters, is what you intend to do about it now."

"Lily, you've got to take Neal and my counterpart back to their universe," suggested Lily's father. "My other self can't stay here while I'm here."

"Rumple, I don't think Lily should go alone," pointed out Belle worriedly.

"I'll make sure she gets us there and returns safely," assured Neal as he held up his father. Neal saw the doubt on Belle's face and added, "We need to trust her to be able to do the right thing." Belle nodded, trusting Neal and remembering what he had mentioned to her back at her father's flower shop. It was then that Belle realized that trust and belief were synonymous to the other.

"Before we go, there is one thing I need…" mentioned the alternate Rumplestiltskin as he strode over to Zelena's dead body. Attached to her belt hosted his Dark One dagger which he gladly took back from her. As he stared at her body, a wash of emotions flooded over him. Eight years he had spent trapped in his own son's mind. _Was it all worth it?_ He remembered Zelena asking him in the haze of one of his fluctuations. To answer her question posthumously he replied softly to himself, "It was all worth it." With finality he came back to Neal and tucked away the dagger inside his suit jacket's pocket. "Alright, now we can go."

Lily looked up at her father who nudged her encouragingly forward toward his doppelganger. Her mission was clear and she knew what it was she had to do. Neal held onto Lily's shoulder and Lily offered Rumplestiltskin her hand. The alternate Rumplestiltskin couldn't help but stare at Lily as he recognized Belle's features in her face. As he gazed at her, he thought about his Belle and the life that could have been. In that brief moment, he wondered about the potential this new life had in store for him. At the thought, he took Lily's hand gently and smiled. He finally had something to look forward to and found himself eager to go home.

Lily smiled back to her father's twin and nodded kindly to him. In a giant cloud of smoke the three individuals disappeared, but then reappeared somewhere else in the forest. Both Neal and Rumplestiltskin looked around wildly, to which Neal asked Lily, "Where are we? Why haven't you taken us back to our universe?"

"Henry told me that I needed to make things right again, so that's what I'm doing. I need to bring Pocahontas back to her world… but first, I need to see my friend one last time," explained Lily determinedly as she pressed forward into the forest. Both Neal and Rumplestiltskin were left with little choice on the matter and followed after the girl to retrieve Pocahontas.

When the group arrived, they came to another family mourning over the loss of a child. In Lily's absence, Pocahontas had managed to gather sage from in the forest and was burning it ceremonially around where young Neal was lying on the ground. Both Neal and Rumplestiltskin kept their distance from the family, but looked carefully on as Lily approached her friend who was being held in his mother's arms. It wasn't until Lily saw Neal Nolan's lifeless body in his mother's arms that she began to feel the full weight of what she had done. In reaction to what she saw, she too began crying again along with the rest of the family.

Evidence of tear tracks were noticeable on David's face as he did his best to support his wife who had stopped sobbing. Bravely, Lily stepped forward to Neal Nolan's parents and with tears in her eyes apologized, "I'm… I'm sorry. This was-this was all my fault." Neither David nor Mary-Margaret knew what to say in response, but Lily continued on and said, "I know that there's nothing I can do or say to bring back Neal or make this better, but… if I am never allowed to see him again I just ask that I am allowed to say goodbye to him one last time."

Mary-Margaret finally looked up to Lily with tear-soaked eyes and then glanced over at David. With her son still cradled in her arms, Mary-Margaret nodded and allowed Lily to say her final farewells. Lily sniffled and did her best to wipe away the tears by using the cuff of her sleeve as she knelt down beside Neal's body.

Lily picked up one of Neal's hands that had fallen to the ground and held it preciously within her own. Lily gathered her thoughts and felt herself become completely undone. Everyone knew what she had done today, so Lily felt no reason to hold back or hide her true feelings any more. After holding his hand for a while she confessed to Neal Nolan, "In all worlds and universes you have friended me even when I didn't deserve your friendship. While everyone saw me as a villain, you saw me as a friend. You took my own words and shown me that I don't have to be a villain or even hero for that matter, that all I needed to be was myself and that it was ok to be just that. You befriended a very lonely girl and I will never forget that. I keep going over in my brain why I keep coming back to you. Even in my visions when I travel to other universes, no matter how different we are I seem to find you and somehow you always save me. Neal, what I am about to say I have never said to anyone, not even to my own parents…" A few tears fell upon Neal's face as she lowered her face to his and whispered, "… I think I know why I keep coming back to you… I love you…"

Lily closed her eyes as she kissed Neal's cheek. When she pulled back from the side of his face, everyone waited with bated breath to see what would come of it, but nothing happened. Lily pulled herself away from Neal and got back to her feet. Lily turned to Pocahontas to which Pocahontas nodded and said, "I see the value of Grandmother Willow's wisdom and now it is time for me to go home."

E.M.T. personnel were arriving to their location and were heard making their way through the woods to get to their location. Seeing that Neal and his parents were going to be taken care of, Lily took out Cogsworth and peered down at the clock's face. Once Lily saw and felt that Neal Cassidy, Rumplestiltskin and Pocahontas were ready to leave she called to the watch, "Cogsworth, take us back to Pocahontas's home."

Just as the group disappeared in a cloud of brilliant orange magic, Neal Nolan's eyes shot open. To the shock of both David and Mary-Margaret, Neal woke up from the sleeping curse with a gasp. After drawing in his first conscious breath, he exhaled, "... _Lily_."

* * *

 **And so we come full circle to this story's title. This entire time Lily was the guardian, aka the vigilante of magic. Another short chapter and another surprise. Thank you to Actress10 and Grace5231973 again for reading and reviewing. Only two more chapters left to this story. See you on Sunday for the next posting!**


	25. The Man and Father Needed

The first stop on Lily's magical tour was returning Pocahontas to her home world. When Neal Nolan, Rumplestiltskin, Lily and Pocahontas arrived, Lily turned to Pocahontas and apologized, "I'm so sorry… for everything. We shouldn't have visited you or taken you."

"As Grandmother Willow always says to me, you can't fight your own destiny. It was meant to happen," stated Pocahontas generously. She was very understanding in her reply, especially when she didn't have to be. After all that had happened, Lily felt that Pocahontas's sentiments were undeserving but accepted them graciously for what they were. "I have learned much from this… Storybrooke," noted Pocahontas.

"Thank you for saying that… and for watching over my friend. You truly are a kind-spirited person. I just wish we could have met under better circumstances," remarked Lily as she did her best to give a heart-felt smile.

"I have decided that you are not a demon-spirit," stated the Native American boldly.

"Oh?" noticed Lily. It caught Lily by surprise to hear Pocahontas no longer address her as a demon-spirit and it made for a different, yet pleasant change. Pocahontas continued, "No matter what the prophecy says about you, I believe that if you follow your heart you will see the light again."

"What… _prophecy?_ " Lily had no clue that there was a prophecy about her. Pocahontas bit her bottom lip realizing that she had said something she shouldn't have and hesitated on her response. She didn't think it was in her place to tell her and after a few moments she replied, "After you make amends in your land, you must seek out your parents in regards to that, for uh… for further guidance. They will have the answers you seek." Pocahontas looked to her brother and father who stood patiently behind Lily, waiting for them to wrap up their farewells. "Well, Lily. It was nice to meet you."

Lily was flattered to have finally have been addressed by her actual name. The gesture didn't seem like much, but to Lily, the recognition was the one positive thing that had happened to her all day. Even if the kind words were from Pocahontas, it was encouraging to hear that at least one person didn't believe her to be a villain. What made it even more special was knowing that it had come from the person she least expected and strangely, it made Lily feel hopeful. Pocahontas turned away from the group and proceeded to return to her village when Lily called out after her, "Pocahontas!"

Pocahontas turned in time to see Lily wave her goodbye to her. After an acknowledging nod, she disappeared into the brush and thickness of the forest. Lily turned to her father's double and caught sight of his look of approval. He may not have been her father from her universe, but she treated his reaction the same way.

"Hey," said Neal to Lily, catching her attention. "you alright?"

Lily sighed and nodded. "Are you ready?" she asked as she looked to the men in front of her.

"As ready as we'll ever be," answered Rumplestiltskin to the little girl as she took to the watch again. Both Neal and Rumple placed their hands on her shoulders as she inaudibly casted the Impossible Possible spell onto Cogsworth. At the incantation, the timepiece glowed brilliantly and an array of colors signaled the success of the enchantment.

"I'm curious, what was that spell you just used?" asked Rumplestiltskin with genuine fascination. Lily turned to Neal for approval who turned to his father to ask in response, "Why? Do you plan on going somewhere else after this?"

"Not anytime soon, no. However, by the looks of it that seemed like a powerful spell and for what we are about to do I would imagine that it would require something just as equally extraordinary. I was only interested, is all."

"You forget, Papa. You and I have shared the same head space for about eight years now," said Neal as he tapped his temple. "I have an idea as to how you think."

"Can you blame me for being curious?" defended Rumple to his son.

"No, but… I did hear that curiosity killed the cat."

Lily coughed to get their attention which caused the two to turn to her. Seeing that she was ready to move on, the two gentlemen decided to save their debate for later as Neal cued Lily, "Whenever you're ready, Lily."

Lily acknowledged Neal with a nod as she called to the watch, "Cogsworth, take us back to this Neal Cassidy's universe."

The group disappeared from Pocahontas's world in a cloud of brilliant orange magic and successfully transported back to Neal's universe. They appeared in Storybrooke's downtown main street at the corner of the town's library. When the magical smoke dissipated, both Neal and Rumple looked around the familiar grounds to orient themselves and simultaneously exhaled a sigh of relief. The town was shrouded in abysmal fog, but the moment they arrived a sweet ray of sunshine peeked through the clouds, bringing forth a refreshing and long sought-after light that the town hadn't seen in ages.

"Home sweet home," remarked Neal. Rumple wasted no time with words as he darted straight for the Pawn Shop. Neal and Lily were both surprised to see how quick he was as they did their best to catch up to him. The door to the pawn shop's door rung jubilantly as Rumple entered it. The sound of the bell caught the attention of Belle who was standing glumly behind the counter by the register reading a book when he entered. Belle looked up and their eyes met, her eyes widened with shock. She couldn't believe what she was seeing as Lily and Neal entered shortly behind him.

"Rum-Rumple?" whimpered Belle out loud in disbelief, her face twisted with a mixture of emotions. Anguish, sadness, relief, joy… all the feelings intermingled with one another as she made her way around the counter to physically touch her phantom lover. "Is it really you?"

He nodded to her as they both fell into a long overdue loving embrace. Belle began crying tears of joy as she said, "I've missed you for so long." Rumple exhaled an anxious, but joyous sigh of relief as he replied, "I love you Belle. You have no idea how long I've waited to say that to you without my disappearing."

"I think I have an idea," Belle remarked between a sob.

The happy couple rejoiced and cried, not realizing that there were two other spectators in the room witnessing the reunion as well. It was strange for Lily to see her parents together from another universe, but she imagined that it was just as strange for them to see a child of theirs from another. During the reunion, she caught a glimpse of her parent's love. No matter what universe she found herself in, it was always gratifying to see that the love her parents shared remained consistent. Seeing her parents together like this caused a happy little tear to escape out of the corner of her own eye. Lily knew they weren't her actual parents, but it still pleased her to see them reunited again. Lily glanced upwards at her older brother and wondered what he thought over the matter. Seeing that it was time for her to return, she turned to her older brother and announced, "I… I guess it's time for me to go. I've got to return Cogsworth back to Henry."

"Wait," halted Neal to Lily. He placed a caring hand on her shoulder to stop her and then turned to his father and Belle. Upon seeing his approach, Rumplestiltskin turned to face his son and took a step back from Belle. Without having to fully separate himself from her, Rumple continued to hold on to Belle's hand as Neal addressed his father, "Papa, I'm going back with Lily."

"What?! Nonsense, this is where you belong," clarified Rumple, as if Neal's suggestion was preposterous. Neal shook his head and replied, "Emma and Henry don't exist here anymore, but they exist in Lily's universe and they need me." Rumple was so bombarded by what Neal was proposing that he seemed almost flustered with words to convince Neal otherwise. "I still love her, Papa. I love them both. Please let me go and be the man and father they need."

"But you just got here," said Rumple trying to reason with his son, but it was of no use.

"You of all people should know that once we love someone we do whatever it takes to get back to them. You taught me that. And now thanks to Lily, I've found hope again. I've got to go back to them." At first Rumple tried to protest, but then nodded in understanding. Without a second thought, he brought his son close and cried as they embraced, "I love you son. I always have and always will."

"I know. I love you too."

The hugged for a good minute or so and when they parted Rumple lovingly kissed Neal on the head. "You truly are a good man," remarked Rumplestiltskin lovingly to his son. Part of Rumple didn't want to let Neal go, but when he was trapped in his son's body he remembered how happy Neal was when he saw Henry and Emma again. Deep down, Rumple knew it was something Neal would never find here.

"I learn from the best," remarked Neal as he parted from his father and turned to Belle. He approached her and thought reflectively on the past eight years they shared and the friendship that had grown between them. He then leaned forward and kissed her respectfully and lovingly on her cheek. When he leaned back he said, "I did as I promised. I brought my father safely back to you."

"That you did," concurred Belle with a smile. They all smiled as a family and after a moment of silence Neal continued, "I hope you can understand why I'm doing this."

"I do," acknowledged Belle as she came in close to Neal and hugged him goodbye. "You're just following your heart. No one can blame you that."

Neal took a step back from Belle and his father and asked, "Do you think you can manage without me?"

Rumplestiltskin nodded and replied, "Bae, we've only ever wanted to see you happy and if it means you leaving this universe to find it in another, then so be it. You don't need our consent to be happy." Neal blinked then smiled happily as he continued to take a few more steps backwards to Lily when his father added lastly, "But that doesn't mean we won't miss you any less."

"Besides, Lily has given us a lot to consider," nodded Belle to Lily who was hovering by the Pawn Shop's door. Lily smiled at the remark as she waited for Neal. Lily opened the door and left the shop first. Neal followed her, but then paused within the door's threshold. He looked up to his father one last time and thanked, "Thank you, Papa."

"I love you Baelfire. I'm so proud of you." Neal gave his father one last heart-felt smile before finally bowing out of the shop. Neal stood next to Lily outside the shop and stared at the establishment across the street. Lily waited a moment and glanced up. She noticed tears building up in his eyes, but none had been shed. She looked down at Cogsworth in her hands and then up at Neal and asked, "Are you ready?"

Neal coughed to feign courage and then looked down at his sister. As he glimpsed around at the town from where he stood, he gave Lily a brave smile and replied, "As ready as I'll ever be. Too many bad memories here."

Lily took his hand within her own and said to Cogsworth, "Cogsworth, take us back to papa in my universe."

Neal took one last gander around at the Storybrooke he knew, and in a brilliant orange cloud they disappeared from Neal's universe for the last time.

* * *

 **One more left to this story! Can you believe it? Thank you to Actress10 and Grace5231973 for reading and reviewing the previous chapter. See you guys sometime Wednesday or Thursday for the last posting! In the last chapter, you'll get a taste of what to expect in my next story and the last installment to this series. Till then, see you next chapter.**


	26. Dreamcatcher

Rumplestiltskin exhaled a sigh of relief as his alternate self, son and daughter left the edge of the forest. Although his anxiety decreased it didn't completely disappear as he turned to see a disparaged Emma sitting with Killian in her lap next to Dr. Archibald Hopper on the forest floor. Before the silence could bear any awkwardness, three E.M.T. vehicles approached their location. While a couple of E.M.T. personnel entered the forest to go after a different case, a few remained to address and look after the present emergencies.

Two men withdrew a body stretcher from the emergency vehicle and brought it over to Zelena's body. After verifying and confirming that she was dead, the men hoisted her body onto the stretcher and moved her quickly into the E.M.T. vehicle. The witch didn't have anybody there to mourn after her body so their departure from the forest was much faster than Killian's.

Rumple stood next to his wife who was standing beside Henry as they painfully watched the medics lift and take Killian's body away. Emma couldn't stop crying as she followed her husband's body into the truck. Henry went after his mother to support her. Realizing that she had the keys to her Volkswagen Bug and that she was about to leave it behind, he offered, "Mom, leave me your keys to your car. I can take your car to the hospital and follow you there."

With her mind numb to the world, she reached into her pocket and handed the car keys over to her son. Henry, Belle, Rumple and Dr. Hopper watched helplessly as the second truck departed the edge of the forest. Henry rejoined the group and they looked to each other for a response or a reaction to what had just happened.

Rumplestiltskin had no words to say in regards to the matter. Certainly, he had plenty of words of hatred for Killian, but presently, none of them were appropriate to say out loud. For centuries, he had longed for the pirate's death and on each occasion, was somehow unable to accomplish the deed. What did it mean that Lily was the one who completed the task he had for so long fail to do? Did Killian's death mean that Lily's magic was now tainted and was now dark? Was having dark magic something he wished for his daughter? Did he truly wish for his own daughter to endure and pay the price of dark magic?

Rumplestiltskin turned to his wife. Perhaps there was merit in her wanting Lily to forget her memories of magic. Perhaps it was for the best that she wasn't raised in dark magic. Reflectively, Rumple retrospectively evaluated his own magic. Since their return to Storybrooke, his magic bared little resemblance to anything dark. At this point, wouldn't his magic be technically light? He wondered. Up until the point of transferring his power to the dagger, all the magic he had performed since then had been truly neutral. Neither light nor dark.

As much as it grated his principles and love for magic, history proved time and again that raising children with magic never ended well. Even he had to admit it. He thought of Regina and how young she was when he introduced her to magic. It was a disturbing thought to think that Lily could lead a life of darkness like that. The only difference was that back then, he knew of Regina's future. With Lily, he had no idea what would become of her.

Rumple closed his eyes and bowed his head. As he meditated he tried to activate his powers of intuition to see if there was anything of Lily's future he could see, but unfortunately he was unsuccessful. That ability was always frustratingly temperamental. He knew his visions always came to him, but he had to try for Lily's sake.

He opened his eyes again. Lily's abstinence of magic would only be temporary, Rumple figured. If there was one thing he knew about magic, it was that it always found a way to manifest itself; especially in those who were enchanted and Lily was certainly enchanted. For now, Lily needed a chance to grow up without the burden of magic's price. When she was old enough she would truly appreciate the benefits of magic, but not now. Lily was still way too young.

"Thank you for the ride here, Archie," thanked Henry sadly to the doctor as he slowly walked up to the group.

"Anytime, Henry. I'm so sorry for the passing of your mother's husband. I know how much he meant to her and your family," said the doctor as he tried to share his condolences. Archie tried hard to emote Killian's death, but for some reason he felt ambivalent. At first he justified his inability to weep over the man's death to professionalism, but as he thought about it he realized he just never had the privilege to really get to know him. However, from what he had observed of his relationship to Emma he realized that he had truly changed for the better. From pirate to gentleman, to husband to incumbent father. As a person, he had truly progressed from villain to hero. Unfortunately, it took his death for Archie to acknowledge that progress.

Henry nodded at the respectful words and said, "Well, until Lily gets back with Cogsworth, I'll just have to rely on cars to get me from Point A to Point B. I've got my mom's car for now, but I just figured I'd let you know."

"Of course. Don't even mention it," replied Dr. Hopper.

"Here, Henry," said Belle as she approached Henry. She withdrew from her pocket a set of keys that he had once given her and returned them back to him. It was the keys to the RAV-4. "You need these more than I do now. Besides, we have the Cadillac and now that I have magic, I don't think transportation will be much of an issue for me anymore."

"Thanks," smiled Henry grimly as both he and Archie proceeded to leave the area in their own respective cars.

"Uh, wait! Archie," Belle halted, addressing the doctor so informally. At this point, with the grasshopper having officiated their wedding he was more of a friend to her than a doctor. Seeing that he was still needed, the doctor stopped to face Belle. Henry, curious as to what Belle was going to say, stopped and turned to listen as well as she continued, "When Lily returns… I-we… intend on having her forget about her magic."

The doctor turned to Rumple who appeared dissatisfied with the plan, and was confused as to why he didn't object. "Forget about her magic?" Archie asked. Even to the doctor the idea seemed impossible, if not ludicrous. For a moment, it sounded eerily like the curse that brought them to Storybrooke in the first place. What were the repercussions to Storybrooke and how would that decision affect Lily's future? Judging by Rumple's face and reaction, Archie saw that even he didn't know what the future held for his daughter. If the most powerful and darkest wizard in all the realms felt that Lily's magic was too dangerous to have, then the alternative must have been frightening. No matter how powerful or dangerous Lily seemed, Archie just didn't think it was fair to her. It sounded cruel because Archie believed that a person learned best through their mistakes, but what did he know of magic? In the end, he had to agree with what the parents believed was best for their child. However cruel the situation seemed, this town was no stranger to cruelty. This town, by its very nature, was created from a curse and in the beginning the town was originally magicless. With most of its citizens already believing that there wasn't magic in town anymore, he supposed that it wouldn't be too difficult to hide that life from her.

"And, uh, how do you intend on doing that?" Archie asked nervously. Between Rumplestiltskin and Belle, part of him almost anticipated hearing the word curse.

It was a legitimate question for someone who currently was under the assumption that magic no longer existed in Storybrooke. Belle convinced him otherwise as she conjured a dreamcatcher from out of thin air and showed it to him. Out of all the things Dr. Hopper had seen in his life, he certainly wasn't expecting to see Belle with magic. Surprised and impressed, the doctor exhaled, "A dreamcatcher. Wow, ok. I-uh, I didn't expect that from you."

"A lot has happened in the last twenty-four hours, doctor," answered Rumplestiltskin to Archie's remarks.

"When our daughter returns, we intend to use this on her," said Belle as she reflected upon her own memories as a child. When she woke from the use of the dreamcatcher, she remembered the first few moments as confusing. "And when she wakes up, I want you to be her guide to help her through these times of… disorientation."

"So Lily won't _know_ she has magic?" asked Henry to which Belle nodded. Henry prodded further, "…but she'll still have magic."

"Indeed," confirmed Rumple. The doctor turned to Rumple as if looking for consent and validity. At first, Rumple didn't understand why Belle was involving the cricket, but then remembered that part of his profession included therapy and added, "We need you to monitor her mind's eye. That's where you come into play."

The psychiatrist still appeared baffled to his statement and wondered why they felt it necessary to rid their child's memories of magic. Belle explained, "We were told of a prophecy about her. In the prophecy, should she continue down this path of magic, she will destroy Storybrooke as we know it."

"This town has faced the threat of destruction before and survived," pointed out Henry, countering the prophecy's threat.

"Let me get this straight," questioned the doctor who appeared defensive on Lily's behalf as he adjusted his glasses, "if your daughter, Lily, continues knowing and pursuing magic, she'll doom us all?"

"As dreary and apocalyptic as it sounds… yes," admitted Rumple with a reluctant sigh. He wasn't afraid of his daughter's power, but the prophecy did give him pause. Rumple gazed at the remaining E.M.T. vehicle and it reminded him of what his daughter was capable of. "She will see you weekly. During your sessions, should anything, and I mean anything, strike you as odd or extraordinary we want to be notified right away."

"Of-of course," acknowledged Dr. Hopper with surprise. When he had set out to help Henry by giving him a lift to meet his mother somewhere, he never expected to arrive to a death and then depart with a new client. But that was the nature of Storybrooke and, like the town, Archie had also learned to adapt to the sudden and quick changes it was accustomed to experiencing. His profession to help people through a traumatic event trumped his current feelings and sentiments, so the doctor nodded his consent to take her on.

"We'll pay you, of course," noted Belle to the doctor. Archie nodded sympathetically and replied flabbergasted, "I-I understand."

Belle continued as she stared down at the dreamcatcher, "When she wakes up, she'll have no recollection of her magic or of magic in general. When she wakes up, she'll just be an ordinary young girl growing up in a small town called Storybrooke. We want her to live out her life, a… normal life." Even as Belle said those last few words she was slowly regretting them. What _was_ normal? All of this seemed incredibly familiar to her as she witnessed history repeat itself with her own daughter and she felt guilty because of it. For a moment, Belle wondered what her life would have been like if she had embraced her magic. She glanced up to the doctor and saw his reluctance.

"I just have one question…," observed Dr. Hopper with grandiose pause, "…say something causes her to wake up and she remembers everything, what are you going to do then?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," answered Rumplestiltskin with the tone of finality in his voice. Rumple's response didn't answer Archie's question because the truth was Rumple didn't have one and neither Rumple nor Archie could tell what was more disturbing. The situation seemed grim, but Archie saw the problem for what it was and knew full-well of the consequences. To Archie, it didn't seem like Belle and Gold to run away from magic, but with the rest of the town's existence at stake he knew how imperative it was for Lily to be kept in the dark. Rumple turned to his wife and saw that even she didn't like what they were about to do. As she fidgeted with their daughter's dreamcatcher he asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Belle felt the twine that was webbed intricately between the circle and then up at her husband. She could barely look up at him as she nodded. Without looking up at him, Belle asked, "Are we ready to hide our magic from our daughter?"

"You tell me…"

Suddenly, both Lily and Neal popped into existence. To everyone's surprise, they all exclaimed, "Neal?"

"Dad… what-what are you doing back?" questioned Henry to his father. "I thought you were returning back to your universe."

"My entire existence in my universe was finding a way to destroy the witch out of revenge for you and your mother's deaths. Honestly, I didn't think I would live to see Zelena gone, but now that she is and I'm still here I'm suddenly left with this… void; the same kind of void you and your mother left in my heart when you both died. When Killian died, I saw and recognized that same emptiness in your mom…" Neal took a breath as he looked around at everyone present. He sensed the grief of everyone there and realized his renewed purpose. "I'm needed more here, more so than back there… to support your mother and to support you. Out of everyone here, I think I'm the only one that knows exactly what she's going through and right now, what she needs… is a friend," explained Neal as he, Lily, Henry, Belle and Rumple stepped closer to each other.

Lily looked longingly at the enchanted watch in her hands as she handed the piece back to Henry. "I'm-I'm sorry Henry," apologized Lily to her nephew.

Henry graciously took the watch back and as he did so, looked at her cautiously. Lily's face said it all to Henry. He could tell by the well-worn trail marks of tears on her face as well as the redness in her eyes that she had been crying nonstop. Seeing that she had already suffered enough, he smiled kindly at her and nodded acceptingly for her apology. Courteously and respectfully he replied, "I accept your apology."

"Lily…" called out Belle to her daughter. Lily turned to her and noticed the dreamcatcher in her hands. She looked down at the object and then dutifully back up at her mother. Belle glanced hesitantly back to Rumple and then back to their daughter. "…your father and I discovered a prophecy about you…a-about your magic."

" _My magic?_ " asked Lily, frightened by the prospect the conversation was leading to. This must be the prophecy Pocahontas was talking about, thought Lily. Belle explained further, "In the prophecy, should you continue to study and learn about your magic you will destroy all of Storybrooke as we know it."

"So… so what are we going to do?" wondered Lily as she saw her father step forward to back up her mother. After seeing that her father was supporting this idea, it appeared like she had little choice over the matter.

"You are going to go to sleep, and when you wake up you won't remember anything about magic," explained her father.

Lily had dealt with so much trauma and heartbreak from today that she welcomed the idea. She had killed Killian and after everything she had done to try and save Neal, she still was never able to save him. Lily realized soberly the destruction her magic had caused, which made the idea to get rid of her memories of magic so appealing. Lily embraced the suggestion, but only because she wanted relief from the grief she had endured. All Lily wanted to do was forget this horrible and tragic day and she instantly thought fondly of her memories and life before magic.

"With a dreamcatcher?" wondered Neal as he pointed at the dreamcatcher in Belle's hands. "I thought those things only trapped nightmares, not memories."

"They capture both, actually, and so much more." Rumple got down on his knees and called to his daughter, "Lily, I need you to lie down on the ground so that I can put you to sleep. You can lean against my lap if you like."

Lily moved slowly but compliantly to her father on the ground. At this point, she was willing to do whatever needed to be done to forget this day. She got down on the ground with her father and leaned her back against her father's lap as he cradled her head. With one arm cradled around her head, he used his available hand to magic her to sleep. "Sleep well, my love. I'll be here when you wake."

He waved his glowing purple hand over his daughter's face and her eyes fluttered close. Seeing that she was out, Belle took the dreamcatcher that was in her hands and traced it lightly over her daughter's body starting at the head. As she moved the dreamcatcher slowly over Lily's body a goldish light escaped Lily's body and entered the enchanted device. The process was quick and painless, but the family felt like they witnessed the passing of person.

Just as Belle finished ridding her daughter's memories of magic the Charming family exited the forest along with the E.M.T. personnel that had entered the forest from earlier before. Neal Nolan saw Lily on the ground and ran forward to her. "Lily!" he shouted out to her as he skidded to his knees beside Rumplestiltskin.

"She's fine. She just won't be the same person you knew from before," assured Rumplestiltskin to the young boy.

"What do you mean?" asked Neal Nolan with great concern.

"Neal!" called out both David and Mary-Margaret to their son as they both came over to pull him back. They saw how he had impeded on the Gold family's business and didn't want him to get further involved. When they looked up, they saw Neal Cassidy standing before them and replied with astonishment, " _Neal?_ " They knew from Emma over the phone, that he was walking around with her in Storybrooke, but they didn't believe it until they saw him standing in front of them.

"Hi," greeted Neal Cassidy briefly to Emma's parents. Mary-Margaret turned back to their son and ordered, "Neal…Nolan," even Mary-Margaret found it strange to have to clarify which Neal she was addressing to, "we've got to go. Your sister is waiting for us at the hospital."

David came over and did his best to gently lift his son up from off the ground. Neal Nolan fought off his father and they struggled. As father and son wrestled with each other, Neal Nolan shouted, "Mom! Dad! You don't understand. She's my friend! She saved me! We've got to save her. Let me go! Something's wrong with her! They did something to her!"

To Neal Nolan, Lily needed to know that she did good today and that she wasn't the villain she believed herself to be. Neal Nolan knew this because she had saved his life and indirectly, she had also saved Neal Cassidy's. She was a good person and it was imperative that she knew this. With every push back Neal Nolan gave to his father, was a well-fought push to defend Lily's honor and goodness. Her magic wasn't bad, so why didn't her parents feel the same way? Why didn't they believe in this as he believed in her?

"I'm sorry," apologized David as he got a better hold of his son and won the struggle. Neal Nolan's eyes reddened with sadness and fury as he became restrained by his father.

"Lily! LILY!" shouted Neal Nolan to his friend as his parents escorted him away into the last E.M.T. truck. Even as the emergency vehicle left, everyone could still hear the young boy call out to her heartbreakingly and hysterically from within the truck, "Lily! It's me! It's Neal! Wake up! Why won't she wake up?!"

The damage was already done and Lily's parents used the dreamcatcher to charm out her memories of magic. Lily went to sleep knowing and feeling that she was a villain, but Neal Nolan knew the truth. There would be no telling as to what filled the memory gaps in her mind of all the magical moments they had shared, or what kind of person she would become because of it until she woke up. Rumple hovered his hand over his daughter's face. He was about to wake her up with magic when Lily suddenly stirred. Her eyes slowly opened as she called out softly, "… _Neal_."

…to be continued.

… …

 ** _…_** ** _Seven years later. Storybrooke. Dr. Archibald Hopper's office…_**

The clock by Dr. Hopper's desk ticked silently on as a fifteen-year old Lily looked intentionally bored. Her skin was pale due to the thick makeup she applied to herself earlier that morning and her long flowing hair was dyed jet black. Black was the general theme of Lily's attire. The black leather jacket creaked with stiffness as she raised both of her hands to nonchalantly support the back of her head while sitting on Archie's couch. She was feigning boredom for satisfaction as she too glanced over at the clock on the desk. Only five minutes left of the session to go. She fought the small tug at the corner of her mouth to hide her smugness. She had managed to silently watch her doctor with great amusement, blunder with frustration over another unsuccessful session. If it wasn't for the thick jacket she wore, he would notice her heart literally beat out of her chest in triumph. With her arms raised above her head a white camisole her mother forced her to wear that day peeked out from underneath.

"That's a nice shirt," noticed the doctor as he pointed at the camisole. It was another attempt to upstart some dialogue between them. She immediately lowered her arms to hide the camisole and began straightening out her raven black skirt. In retaliation for the doctor's observation, she obnoxiously clicked the heels of her combat boots which knocked out whatever dirt there was onto Dr. Hopper's office floor.

The doctor stared at the clump of dirt on the floor that fell from her shoes and took another anxious breath. He saw the minutes dwindle away before him and knew that it was going to be another progress-less session. She was deliberately trying to annoy him and get under his skin, but it wasn't going to work. He was a professional. He had dealt with cases like hers before. He knew that she was being defiant and that there was a reason for it. She didn't want to be there. "Look, if we are going to have another silent session like we've had for the past three weeks, then I'm going to have to talk to your parents about negotiating for more sessions per week," threatened Dr. Hopper.

"You wouldn't!" exclaimed Lily doubtfully as she sat more erect in the couch's seat. Whenever she heard threats she was instantly reminded of her father and could already hear his displeased voice. Her father was the key to getting out of Storybrooke. They still owned property in New York City and wanted to take advantage of that living space for when she started college at NYU. But for that to even happen, she needed his approval. If he wasn't happy with her progress in everything, then her dreams and plans for leaving Storybrooke would come into jeopardy. The threat alone certainly got her attention and it pleased the doctor to see that his new approach finally provoked a response.

"Are you willing to test out this theory?" retorted Archie in kind. He knew that Lily was a bright young girl and upon seeing that she was more receptive to what he had to say he took advantage of the moment and stated, "You know, what you are doing… this defiant behavior of yours, is simply a call for help. You are trying to get someone's attention. Are you trying to reach out to someone?" Lily looked caught, signaling to Dr. Hopper that he was hitting close to home. He prodded further, "Is it your mother? Are you trying to reach out to your father?"

Lily shook her head. "No," she replied with a soft murmur as she crossed her arms defensively. She could barely look up at the doctor as she said, "You wouldn't understand."

"I'm a psychiatrist, Lily. I've heard it all. Why don't you try me?"

"I've… I've been having strange dreams… about Neal…"

"Your brother?"

Lily shook her head. "…Neal Nolan," she replied with embarrassment. "I can hear him calling out my name."

"Have-have you hung out with him lately?"

Lily shook her head again as she replied, "I see him in passing at school. Always hanging out with the other jocks and popular girls. It just doesn't make sense as to why _he's_ calling out my name. But that's not the strangest thing… there's this person, well actually, this room. A dark room, and all I can hear is this person's voice."

"And what did this voice sound like?"

Suddenly the bell of the clock they were both staring at earlier rung jubilantly, signaling the end of the session. In a flash, Lily gathered her belongings and bolted. Before the doctor knew it, she was already at the door's threshold. They were just getting somewhere in their session and to the doctor's disappointment and frustration he called pointlessly after her, "We'll be resuming this conversation when I see you next week!" Dr. Hopper was barely able to complete his statement as the door to his office slammed shut.

Lily thought about the answer to Dr. Hopper's question. She knew what the voice in the dark room sounded like and it creeped her out. The voice was androgynous and due to its oddity, it frightened her. Lily knew that it wasn't good to be hearing voices in her head. She was ostracized enough as it was at school and it was already bad that she was seeing a psychiatrist once a week. Lily escaped Dr. Hopper's office building and immediately turned down the opposite end of the street away from her parents' employments.

As she ventured down Storybrooke's main street she thought about her sessions. For years, she had been seeing Dr. Hopper and when she asked Archie why, he replied simply, _"…_ _Your parents are just concerned about you."_ He seemed genuine, but to Lily there seemed to be more to it than that.

 _Therapy… for seven years?_ It was certainly curious. What would prompt her parents to force her to endure these sessions week after week? Lily thought about when she first started her sessions with Dr. Hopper. She was eight and she had woken up in her father's arms in the middle of the forest. They had claimed that she had run away and had almost succumbed to hypothermia, but didn't remember feeling cold. Even she had to admit that when she was younger she was prone to running away, but unlike the rest of her memories, her memories before that day were foggy. She had asked Dr. Hopper, who was present that day, what had happened and why she couldn't remember and the poor excuse he gave her were the side effects to hypothermia. Amnesia from hypothermia? It didn't make sense to her. She felt like her memory was impeccable.

When she was younger her favorite place in the world used to be the library, but now-a-days she sought refuge in the town's graveyard. It was peaceful. She didn't feel judged. She was alone in her thoughts with nothing but the dead to keep her company. There was a park bench she'd venture to and plopped her book bag on top of it. It made a loud noise as she did so but she didn't care as she quickly pulled out a composition notebook and began writing and drawing in it. The contents inside her journal spoke of her wishes and desires to leave Storybrooke. It was there that she doodled iconic images of New York City and all the glories and wonders it had in store.

She was so close to getting there, so close she could feel it in the pages beneath her fingertips. Lily was already entering her last year of high school and couldn't wait to leave. While the rest of the students her age were entering their sophomore year, she was entering her last. In lieu of wanting to leave Storybrooke, she did everything in her power to graduate as soon as possible. So it was decided that during her senior year she would take on as many college courses Storybrooke had available to her, the result of which would inevitably have her visiting her mother more often than she would have liked at the library.

Much to Lily's dismay and dissatisfaction, her mother forbid having the internet set up in their house. As if her family weren't weird or antiquated enough. That move on her mother's end forced her to use the library and its resources. Lily had to hand it to her, her mother wasn't dumb. Naturally, there was always a deeper meaning to doing things her mother's way and her father trusted her mother's judgement implicitly.

Lily looked up from the bench and looked around at the tombstones that surrounded her. So many people have died here, yet besides the death of Killian and a woman named Zelena, dying coincidentally on the same day she ran away, she couldn't remember the last person to have died in Storybrooke since then. While leaving her book bag behind on the bench, she took a pen and composition notebook with her as she walked curiously through the graveyard to sketch tombstones. Occasionally, as she walked through the cemetery, she'd stumble across a name or two that would strike her as odd, like a woman with the last name 'De Vil'. One time she had even found Archibald Hopper's tombstone. When she had confronted him about it during one of her sessions he claimed that he had once been kidnapped and was mistakenly presumed dead. Lily implored for him to talk more about it, or why he never removed it, he answered to his embarrassment, _"…_ _for the time being, it's just saving his place."_

She supposed that made sense. Why spend money on a tombstone, plot or coffin if it was already there waiting for him? After spending all her time at the cemetery, Lily thought a lot about death. Ironically, it was how all stories in Storybrooke ended. However, for the past seven years, nobody's died in Storybrooke. In fact, none of the adults seemed to age, only the youth. Lily thought it strange for such a coincidence to occur. In fact, as she had thought about the oldest person she knew in Storybrooke, she realized how none of the elderly aged. As curious as that observation was, nothing was more curious than the tombstone she happened to stumble upon next. On the tombstone's face read,

 _~Beloved Son~_

 _Neal Cassidy_

Her older brother. What was her older brother doing buried in the cemetery when he was perfectly healthy running the Pawn Shop at this very moment? Was it common for this town to presume deaths prematurely? It was curious. She had so many questions, and yet she didn't care enough about them to seek out the answers. If anything, it only motivated her to leave this weird and small provincial town. However, the more motivated she was to leave, the stronger and more strident her dreams became. Lily found herself in a dilemma.

Perhaps it was time for her to talk to Archie. It was what he was there for. Lily couldn't explain it, but somehow she knew that there were stronger forces at play in Storybrooke. Forces in which she didn't understand or why her convictions to leave Storybrooke were so synonymous in strength to that of her dreams. Lily felt like Fate was forcing her to decide on her future. Either she allowed curiosity to lead her to the answers of the questions that plagued her mind for so long, or she allowed ignorance to play itself out and live happily ever after in New York City. There was one thing for certain Lily knew about herself, she was never the ignorant type.

* * *

 **That's it! That's the last chapter to this story. A bit of a cliffhanger, I know, but what I've got planned to wrap this series up I think will be pretty cool. Sorry about the delayed posting. These past few days were spent editing and rewriting the ending. I really wanted to give you a taste of what's to come for the next installment and wanted to deliver it perfectly to you. Next story I post will be during the summer hiatus into (hopefully) the seventh OUAT season. If you like to see how this series ends, follow me and you'll be prompted at my next posting. Every once in a while I post cool BTS things of my writing process on twitter, so if you care to follow my screen name is the same: skitzoeinhoven .**

 **Next "chapter", won't really be a chapter to this story, but will actually be my "Author's Note" and will be titled as such. Basically, a wrap-up summation of the direction of this story as well as a giant thank you to all who have reviewed or messaged me in the past as a result of this story's publication.**


	27. Author's Note

Hello everyone!

First I would like to thank you for reading The Vigilante and making it to the end. I really do hope you've enjoyed the adventure so far! Obviously, it's not the end and I've been working steadily and taking my time on the last and final installment "The Awakening". Be on the look out for it very soon and be sure to follow me here and get the latest chapter updates! I'm also on twitter and may post behind the scenes writing pics of my process.

Welcome to the Author's note! Here, I take the last post to encapsulate my thoughts and feelings about this installment as well as the time to thank individual readers who also took the time to leave me wonderful reviews after each chapter posting. Believe it or not, they do actually motivate to continue writing and let's me know I'm on the right track.

Thank you: Grace5231973, Actress10, Montreat11, ladybugsmomma and Princess Milly. All of your thoughts were incredibly inspiring and thought provoking and I appreciate you. It means so much to me. It really does. Especially the dialogue that happens between PM's. I have always found those incredibly fascinating and special. What a treat for me. Thank you.

The Vigilante. Ok, I've discovered I really like writing Who-dunnit mystery. I really enjoyed hiding the Vigilante's identity until the end. It was fun writing that. Was it really all that surprising that it was Roland? He is getting older and I wanted his character to take on after his father but in Roland's own way. You know? In regards to the Gold family's return to Storybrooke, I had always imagined it to be quite difficult especially for Lily considering who her parents are. The thing I love most about writing for Rumbelle is the incredible balance of strengths and weaknesses between Belle and Rumplestiltskin and to juxtapose them to average ordinary family circumstances tickled my fancy. And then you add the town's dynamic and relationship to them to add just enough tension and it's just a story brimming with intrigue. It practically writes itself.

The thing about writing this story that has me continue writing is the constant growth of not just our favorite couple but of the other characters that play pivotal roles into pushing the plot along. Characters like Henry and his relationship to Rumple. It always frustrated me how they barely showed that connection on the show so I purged my ideas of what their relationship would be like in my own story.

At the end of The Author, Lily showcased her enthusiasm to move back to Storybrooke without actually knowing or realizing that her wish came with a price. Again, I was just following the theme that "All magic comes with a price". The cost of moving and living in a place like Storybrooke where magic still exists is bullying. Her bullying makes her question why they bully her and it seems that the sins of the father really do get passed down to their children. In this case, the stigma of being the daughter of Rumplestiltskin also means being judged unfairly and prematurely. With all the mixed histories Rumplestiltskin has within the community, it's no wonder why Belle was slightly reluctant to move back. However, the bullying forced Lily to realize who she is and in turn question what makes a hero or villain. And since her parents are both, she recognized her potential for either. In the end, she determined for herself what she was made of and I had hoped to convey in the story that it is in our decisions that determine if we are heroic or villainous. And as we've discovered, not everything is so black and white.

To kill or not to kill... well, I'm not going to lie. Not a huge fan of Killian Jones, but I am a huge fan of Neal Cassidy and felt that his character was robbed of potential in the show. Again, that's the beauty of fanfiction. So I resurrected Neal in my story and decided to kill off Killian. With Neal, I just feel that it was better overall because of how Neal kept the momentum for storytelling going with Rumbelle and Lily. The biggest question I asked myself while writing this story was, "how can I legitimately bring him back and pick things up where the show left off?" So I decided to take Lily's unique magic of parallel universes and transport him magically over to my story. Pretty clever, huh? I thought so myself. I did bounce some ideas off of one of my readers so I can't take complete credit, Actress10. She helped me through some resolutions and for that, a shout out and a thank you!

And what's a story without some conflict? The cost of bringing Neal magically back into my universe was resurrecting Zelena as well. I always disliked her character, but she was quite useful in my storytelling. Especially when she kidnapped Lily and they shared a moment of understanding for one another. So it was great to bring her back for that purpose. It also felt good to kill her off again because of how cruel she was to Rumplestiltskin and Belle in Season 3.

Anyways, that's all I've got. Thank you again for reading _The Vigilante_ and I hope to see you guy review again for the next and final installment "The Awakening". Till then, see you next chapter!

~Skitzoeinhoven


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